The Royal Dock in Grimsby will be the construction and operations and maintenance base for Innogy’s 857MW Triton Knoll offshore wind farm off the east coast of England.
A port lease agreement has been signed with ABP Grimsby that will see the base built across a 10-hectare site.
The new facilities will support regular, long-term ship movements, including service operations vessels and crew transfer vessels, during both the construction and operations phases.
Tendering for a contractor to build the base is underway and is due to be concluded in the summer.
Triton Knoll also aims to recruit new and existing technicians to its team, with the first of up to 20 roles expected to be in place by the end of the year.
Triton Knoll project director Julian Garnsey said: “We are very pleased to be establishing our long-term home in what could be considered to be the hub of the offshore wind industry.
“ABP is recognised as a leader in the provision of quality renewables port facilities, and we’re looking forward to developing and growing our facilities with them, local people and businesses in the coming months and years.”
ABP Humber regional director Simon Bird said: “This new lease further underlines Grimsby’s place as the world’s largest offshore wind O&M port.
“The port of Grimsby has seen exceptional growth in terms of supporting the renewable sector in recent years and already supports almost 1.5GW of installed capacity.
“It is through this collaborative approach that ABP can proclaim we are at the centre of driving the green supply of energy for the nation.”
Triton Knoll will feature 90 MHI Vestas V164-9.5MW turbines and is expected to be fully operational in 2022.