Local business people from Eyemouth and beyond attended a business breakfast in the town today (Wednesday 28th September) to learn how they might benefit from contracts to support the Operations and Maintenance (O&M) base for the Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) offshore wind farm.
The O&M base, which has been constructed at Eyemouth Harbour, will shortly open its doors ahead of the NnG wind farm being fully commissioned in 2024. Local businesses were invited to attend the business breakfast so they understand the tendering process for contracts that will be awarded – from gardening to gritting and from catering to cleaning.
The Business Breakfast included a short presentation and update on the project, details of the services needed from local businesses and of the procurement process that will be undertaken.
Fiona Thomson from the NnG offshore wind farm project team said:
“We’re committed to supporting the local supply chain and this was a great opportunity to meet some local businesspeople in person. The wind farm, will be operational for at least 25 years and we’re determined to be good neighbours, using local service providers to support the O&M base wherever possible.”
NnG, which is owned by EDF Renewables UK and ESB, will supply enough low carbon electricity for around 375,000* homes and has a capacity of c. 450MW of low carbon energy and will offset over 400,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.
The NnG O&M base includes a 1,040 square metre, three storey operations and maintenance building alongside a 538 square metre warehouse. The base houses the operational control room from which the wind farm will be commissioned, and then monitored, once operational, in 2024. It will monitor its energy production, weather conditions, turbine performance and delivery of clean energy to the National Grid. The control room team will also monitor and control the movement of wind farm vessels into and out of Eyemouth Harbour and the site of the wind farm itself, which is located off the coast of Fife.