Fred Olsen Renewables and Vattenfall have entered into agreements with key Orkney organisations as part of the ScotWind partnership.
The partnership has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with two Orkney offshore service providers, Green Marine and Leask Marine, alongside Orkney Harbour Authority.
The agreements will facilitate the development of local suppliers, enable the creation of highly skilled jobs and maximise the opportunities that offshore wind can bring to the area, contingent on the partnership securing an option as part of ScotWind.
The partnership has signed three separate MoUs which will see the local suppliers work collaboratively to deliver large scale offshore wind contracts.
The agreements focus on committing to use local skills and services, whilst supporting the local businesses to expand and be ready for future business demands, including preparing for the purchase of new assets and training staff in key skills areas.
The planned investment in these local businesses will also help to ensure that they can be lead suppliers on developments undertaken by the partnership locally as well as by wider industry across Scotland.
Carolyn Heeps, head of Offshore Wind at Fred Olsen Renewables, said: “We have been working closely with the stakeholders in Orkney to understand the skills and core competencies that exist in marine operations today. We believe that by working together to explore how we can coordinate, we can realise our shared ambitions to maximise opportunities for the region.
“Collaboration is key to ensuring that Scotland can achieve its renewables ambitions and create maximum value for the Scottish economy, supply chain and communities.
“These agreements manage to combine local skills and extensive industry experience to ensure that we can realise the benefits of offshore wind development locally.”