Scottish fabricator BiFab is to reopen its Methil yard in Fife to ensure it meets an end-year schedule for the delivery of pin piles for the 950MW Moray East wind farm off Scotland.
A spokesman said delays have been encountered at the company’s Arnish yard near Stornoway in Lewis, which has been tackling the fabrication to date. Delays have been partly caused by changes to the specification of the piles, he said.
Forty staff will be put to work at Methil (pictured) by the end of the month. The site has been closed since completing fabrication work for SSE’s 588MW Beatrice wind farm.
The workers will join up to 100 people already employed at Arnish, which will continue to fabricate the piles.
The DF Barnes-owned company is contracted to deliver 150 piles. German outfit EEW is to supply the remaining 150.
The BiFab move has been agreed with client DEME Offshore, which is the lead foundations contractor for the project, the spokesman added.
Jack-up vessel Apollo is currently installing piles supplied by EEW in the Moray Firth.
Moray East will feature 100 MHI Vestas 9.5MW turbines and is expected online in 2021.
Lead project developer EDPR and DEME Offshore have not responded to requests for comment.