Engineering outfit Wilton Group has unveiled a new £3m coatings facility for offshore wind turbine foundations at its Port Clarence base on Teesside in north-east England.
The facility, which will be operated by Wilton Group member Universal Coatings, covers 2256 square metres and will be used for the preparation and painting of steel transition pieces.
Wilton and Universal are currently delivering 21 transition pieces to SteelWind for Orsted’s 1.2GW Hornsea 1 offshore wind farm off the Yorkshire coast of England.
Wilton chief executive Bill Scott (pictured, left) said: “The project we secured with SteelWind for Orsted’s Hornsea 1 demonstrates the confidence in the capabilities of the UK supply chain to play a part in such a significant renewables development, which we have further enhanced through the investment in this important facility.”
Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen (pictured, right) said: “The types of investment that Wilton Engineering is making shows the rest of the industry that the company is serious about its long-term future in the offshore wind industry.”
The investment by Wilton in the facility was supported by £600,000 from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.
In addition, the company received a total of £3m from the Tees Valley Catalyst Fund to support project bonding.
Scott and Houchen discuss the facility, its funding and the importance of offshore wind to the area here.
Image: Wilton Group
Teesside home for TP coats
By EBS