Major Hornsea 3 wind farm supply deals go to North East and Yorkshire firms

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A trio of contracts worth between £75m and £100m has been handed to offshore suppliers operating in the North East and Yorkshire, for a major North Sea wind farm project.

Norwegian renewables firm Ørsted has awarded Tyneside-based Smulders, along with York-based Severfield, the contract to supply a large proportion of secondary structures for the Hornsea 3 wind farm. Their work will included suspended internal platforms (SIPs), key internal parts of the foundations for the site’s 231 turbines, and construction of boat landings for smaller maintenance vessels carrying technicians to access the turbines.

The companies will also provide anode cages, which protect the steel-made foundation structure from corrosion. It is said to be Severfield’s first offshore renewables project, and it will work with key contract Hutchinson Engineering in Widnes with final assembly taking place at the Teesworks site in Redcar.

Meanwhile, JDR Cables, which has locations in Hartlepool, Newcastle and is constructing a major Northumberland factory, has won the array cable testing and termination work on the project. JDR will prepare and connect the cables between the turbines and offshore convertor stations and use its testing system to make sure the cabling is integrated into the offshore electrical infrastructure and is working safely. It follows news that JDR has secured a £30m export finance deal.

Ørsted says that together the contracts will support more than 300 jobs across the three firms.

Luke Bridgman, managing director, Hornsea 3, said: “We value our partnerships with local suppliers and our continued commitment to working with the UK supply chain is reinforced today with these contract announcements. Operating with existing suppliers like JDR and Smulders and supporting Severfields’ diversification into offshore renewables is testament to the strength of the UK supply chain and the role Hornsea 3 is playing to boost economic growth across the UK.”

Benj Sykes, head of Ørsted in the UK, said: “Ørsted has been an investor in Britain, supplying clean energy, for 20 years and we believe in supporting the communities in which we work. Hornsea 3 is the world’s single largest offshore wind farm and, as well as being based in UK waters, we’re proud to be supporting Britain’s growing offshore wind supply chain.”

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “This investment is a vote of confidence in British manufacturing and our mission to deliver clean power by 2030, boosting our factories and supporting jobs in the North of England to power up the world’s biggest offshore wind farm. This multimillion pound investment will build on the manufacturing expertise of our industrial heartlands, ensuring these communities can benefit from the vast opportunities that come with us becoming a clean energy superpower.”

Monika Cupiał-Zgrysek CEO of JDR, said: “Being part of the Hornsea 3 project is a continuation of our collaboration with Ørsted, building on the successful delivery of cutting-edge cable solutions for Hornsea 1 and 2. These historic projects demonstrated our ability to innovate and execute at scale, from manufacturing 245 kilometres of inter-array cables for Hornsea 1 to providing advanced 66kV systems for Hornsea 2.

“The Hornsea 3 project not only underscores our role in the UK’s clean energy transition but also reinforces our dedication to creating local jobs and supporting sustainable growth in the communities where we operate. With Hornsea 3, we are proud to extend this legacy, supporting the UK’s renewable energy ambitions while driving local economic growth. Together with Ørsted, Severfield, and Smulders we’re setting new benchmarks in offshore wind and reaffirming our commitment to a sustainable energy future.”

Raf Iemants, managing director of Smulders, said: “The UK has always been our largest market for offshore wind activities. In 2016 we took the opportunity to establish ourselves on the yard in Newcastle, and provide UK content in our projects. The cooperation with Ørsted on the Hornsea3 project is an excellent continuation of our activities in Newcastle, supporting the local community and supply chain around us. ”

Jim Martindale, divisional managing director for Severfield Nuclear & Infrastructure, said: “Hornsea 3 represents a significant milestone for Severfield, marking our first offshore wind contract. This is a major achievement for the business and a key step in aligning with our strategy to expand the Infrastructure division into new and innovative sectors. This achievement is also a testament to the dedication and skills of our colleagues, who have expertise in delivering complex projects across a range of industries. I’m excited about the opportunities this partnership brings for the future and we’re looking forward to working with Ørsted.”

Original artice – https://business-live.co.uk/all-about/yorkshire-humber

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Governments pledge to ban trail hunting in spotlight as Boxing Day hunts meet

The Government is under pressure over its manifesto pledge to ban trail hunting as hunts gather for the traditional Boxing Day meet. Anti-hunting campaigners are urging them to deliver on the promise to ban trail hunting – a practice in which a scent is laid across the countryside for hounds and riders to follow as an alternative to banned fox hunting, but which has been criticised as a “smokescreen” for illegal activity. But the Countryside Alliance has warned further changes to the law are “completely unjustified”, as people were carrying out a legitimate, legal activity that brought the rural community together. Tim Bonner, the alliance’s chief executive, also said the issue of trail hunting was irrelevant to most people and it would be “extraordinary” for Labour to focus on it given the poor state of relations with rural communities. Labour, which introduced the original ban on hunting with dogs in 2004, pledged in its manifesto this year to ban trail hunting, as part of what it says are measures to “improve animal welfare”. A spokesperson for the Environment Department (Defra) confirmed the Government planned to ban trail hunting, telling the PA news agency: “This government was elected on a mandate to introduce the most ambitious animal welfare plans in a generation and that is exactly what we will do. “We are committed to a ban on trail hunting, which is being exploited as a smokescreen to cruelly kill foxes and hares.” The League Against Cruel Sports said figures compiled by its intelligence team found that since the beginning of August, 186 foxes were reported being pursued by hunts and there were 220 reports relating to suspected illegal hunting incidents. There were also 553 reports of “hunt havoc”, in which hounds caused disruption such as chasing other wild animals or pets, worrying livestock or causing traffic incidents, or disturbing the public, the organisation said. Emma Judd, head of campaigns at the League Against Cruel Sports, said: “It’s 20 years since the Hunting Act was passed but, since then, figures we compile consistently suggest hunts still chase and kill foxes as they did before the ban. “Hunts may claim they are following a pre-laid animal scent trail, known as trail hunting, but this has been shown to be nothing but a smokescreen to conceal old-fashioned illegal hunting.” She said trail hunting and loopholes in the Hunting Act made it “all but impossible” to enforce the law, and called for the Government to strengthen the legislation and introduce custodial sentences for those hunting wild animals with dogs, and to set out a timetable for doing so. 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Joe Emmett, master and huntsman of the South Devon Hunt, said: “The hunt plays an important role in our local community and meets like Boxing Day are the perfect opportunity for locals and visitors to the area to come together.” The League Against Cruel Sports said polling earlier this year showed more than three quarters (76%) of the British public supported strengthening the Hunting Act, but the Countryside Alliance pointed to a survey over the weekend of more than 2,000 people in which just 5% put it in their top three issues for voting in the next election. Published: 26/12/2024 by Radio NewsHub

Train reliability hits the buffers as annual cancellations exceed 360000

More than 360,000 train services across Britain were fully or part-cancelled in the past year as reliability is at a joint record low amid major staffing shortages. PA news agency analysis of the latest Office of Rail and Road data found 208,000 services were fully axed in the year to November 9. A further 161,000 were part-cancelled, meaning they did not serve at least one of their scheduled stops. The rail industry produces a cancellations score – counting full cancellations as one and part-cancellations as half – which shows the equivalent of 4.0% of the 7.3 million trains planned in that period were cancelled. That is the joint worst reliability performance in figures dating back to March 2015, when the annual cancellations score was just 1.9%. Services are being particularly badly disrupted on Sundays as many operators rely on train drivers or guards volunteering to work paid overtime on that day. Great Western Railway, Northern and ScotRail are among the operators affected. Rail journalist Tony Miles, of Modern Railways magazine, said: “Much of (the poor performance) is to do with a failure of successive governments to really resolve the staffing issues on rail, and that includes getting a proper seven-day railway in the terms and conditions (of train crew) – and recruiting enough staff – so they don’t have to rely on overtime and rest-day working. “This is putting people off trains and back onto the roads, which is completely contrary to what Government ambition should be.” Mr Miles claimed some train drivers have opted out of extra shifts since the Labour Government offered a multi-year pay deal to their union Aslef without changes to terms and conditions. He predicted cancellation figures are “probably going to get worse” because drivers are retiring faster than they are being recruited, describing the situation as a “ticking time bomb”. Mr Miles said Network Rail “struggling” to maintain its infrastructure because of inadequate funding is also partly to blame for the high number of cancellations. He added there is an increase in the number of train staff off work because of sickness as the coronavirus pandemic means many people with a virus now think staying at home to avoid spreading it is better than struggling into work. Michael Solomon Williams, of pressure group Campaign for Better Transport, said: “Delays and cancellations erode passengers’ faith in the railways. “The rail industry and Government must work together to invest in both the workforce and infrastructure to improve reliability across the whole network.” The operator with the highest cancellations score in the year to November 9 was Avanti West Coast at 7.8%. It was followed by CrossCountry (7.4%), Northern (5.7%) and Govia Thameslink Railway (5.2%). The best performing operator was c2c – which runs services between London and Essex – with a score of 1.6%. In November, then-transport secretary Louise Haigh said train operators have been asked to prepare for their performance statistics to be displayed at most stations to boost transparency. Her successor, Heidi Alexander, told PA earlier this month: “We are clear that we need to move to a seven-day railway. “We are too over-reliant on rest day working and so that’s a big priority for me as we move into the new year.” A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “Passengers are being let down by poor services, which is why we are committed to delivering the biggest overhaul of the railways in a generation. “Bringing services back into public ownership will put passengers at the heart of everything we do and allow us to reinvest into our railways. “We have been clear we will not tolerate poor performance and will continue to hold all operators to account, regardless of ownership.” A spokesperson for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, said: “We know how much passengers rely on the railway and the importance of reliable and punctual services. “Rail staff work hard to enable five million journeys every day and the industry is working together to address the main causes of delays and cancellations. “Delays and cancellations can occur due to various factors like weather and flooding, industrial action, infrastructure issues such as track or signalling faults, train faults and external incidents such as trespass. “When this happens, we are raising awareness of delay repay compensation to ensure passengers can easily claim what they are entitled to.” Published: 26/12/2024 by Radio NewsHub

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Governments pledge to ban trail hunting in spotlight as Boxing Day hunts meet

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