Siemens Gamesa has extended vessel support contracts with Seacat Services for operations and maintenance at the 353MW Galloper offshore wind farm off the coast of Suffolk.
The deal extends a two-year agreement with Seacat Liberty until the fourth quarter of 2022 and with Seacat Vigilant until the fourth quarter of 2020. There are also options to extend the contracts further.
Seacat Services will continue to provide specialist logistical support to Siemens Gamesa’s technical teams, transporting technicians and O&M equipment to and from the Galloper site for the 56 6.3MW turbines.
Seacat Services managing director Ian Baylis said: “The importance of safe, cost-effective management of offshore wind support fleets cannot be underestimated.
“Market understanding of this is growing, and it is increasingly being reflected in the development of stable, collaborative supplier relationships.
“The offshore wind market must continue to acknowledge the productivity gains, safety improvements and cost-efficiencies that these long-term relationships offer.”
Siemens Gamesa implementation and asset manager Steve Myers said: “Not only does continuing to collaborate with a UK vessel operator support job creation in the domestic renewable energy industry; our long-standing relationship with Seacat Services across Europe helps grow a shared culture of trust for safety and productivity.
“It also means we have access to one of the most capable fleets in the offshore wind sector – with the substantial project benefits this entails.
“We are very pleased to say that our O&M operations at Galloper progress positively – and this continued focus will help us build on the firm foundation we already have in place.”