Vattenfall has chosen Norfolk-based Gibb Safety & Survival, part of Gibb Group, to provide protective clothing, safety, and survival equipment across its 11 UK wind farms.
New jobs are already being created at Gibb Group’s new £2m (€2.3m) state-of-the art distribution and service hub at Great Yarmouth as a result of the three-year contract.
The agreement is to supply and service workwear, head-to-toe PPE, specialist clothing to protect workers from arc – electrical explosion – burns, working at height apparatus and rescue, survival and marine equipment.
Gibb Group’s contract follows Great Yarmouth-based Worley and GEV Power, and Lowestoft-based James Fisher Marine Services selection to deliver services ranging from up-tower blade maintenance and repairs to inspections on Vattenfall’s 900 turbines across its 50 wind farms in the UK, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden.
These contracts created more than 30 new jobs, with more roles in the pipeline as the work scopes develop.
And last month, Vattenfall awarded contracts to Norfolk-based HexCam, Ordtek and East Point Geo, and Suffolk-based Miles Drainage for early work on its planned 300-turbine Norfolk Vanguard and Norfolk Boreas offshore wind farms 30 miles off the north Norfolk coast, supporting 13 jobs and creating at least two new roles.
Vattenfall’s Norfolk stakeholder manager Dr Catrin Ellis Jones said: “There are some incredible companies here.
“East Anglia is such an important exporter of skills and expertise across the global wind business and these contracts demonstrate our commitment to enable the untapped potential of UK companies in the renewables sector to be realised, boosting local employment and post-covid economic recovery.”
Gibb Safety & Survival’s European sales manager Lee Sparkes said: “We view winning this specialist contract to support the team at Vattenfall over the course of the next three to five years as a real testament to the agility and flexibility of our team to deliver essential PPE equipment.
“We have some really exciting projects in the pipeline which includes the team developing HSE approved PPE solutions across the sites and working closely with Vattenfall to improve on essential safety culture, sustainability and the development of new products.”
Gibb Group, part of Clarkson PLC, plans to open new UK bases and is preparing a recruitment drive in the next 18 months as its wind work grows, including developing its new apprenticeship programme.
The Vattenfall contract can also lean on Gibb Group’s expertise from the Gibb Tool & Supplies division alongside the safety solutions, which deliver everything technicians need to work on Vattenfall’s 340 operational turbines, as well as its 50 turbines under construction.
All equipment will be supplied from Gibb Group’s new Great Yarmouth base, where 25 people work, and Aberdeen, which has a team of about 20.
The Vattenfall-Gibb Safety and Survival relationship will lead to development of new products to improve safety culture and sustainability across the industry.