ICONIC Belfast firm Harland and Wolff has secured a multi-million pound German export contract, which will support up to 80 jobs.
The marine manufacturer will supply suction buckets, a form of anchor foundation, for an offshore 56 turbine windfarm being built off the German coast.
Harland and Wolff has said the contract for DONG Energy’s Borkum Riffgrund 2 will support up to 80 jobs in Belfast and is a major coup for the company.
“This multi-million pound contract is a boost for high-skilled manufacturing jobs in Northern Ireland, and further demonstrates the UK’s leadership in offshore wind," UK International Trade Minister Greg Hands said.
"Harland and Wolff’s innovative designs and expertise can help make renewable energy projects like Borkum Riffgrund 2 possible, as UK exports help tackle climate change across the world.”
Director of business development at Harland and Wolff Jonathan Guest said the company was delighted to be able to support manufacturing jobs in Belfast and contribute to UK exports.
"We are committed to the retention of manufacturing skills in Northern Ireland and projects such as this enable us to both develop our in-house capability and support the local supply chain," he said.
The innovative suction bucket design consists of three legs welded together in a jacket structure, standing on top of three giant suction buckets anchoring the foundation to the seabed.
Manufactured by Harland and Wolff in Belfast the suction buckets will be exported from the UK to Poland for fitting prior to foundation installation in the German Bight (North Sea) during 2018.
The firm will work on the project with ST3 Offshore, a leading European serial manufacturer of offshore steel foundations, who is to fabricate the jackets for the buckets.
