Sparrows to supply cranes for wind farm

Aberdeen, Scotland-based Sparrows Group has signed a contract to supply 103 cranes for installation at ScottishPower Renewables’ 714 megawatt East Anglia ONE offshore wind farm.

Located off the coast of Suffolk, UK, the wind farm will be capable of producing enough electricity to power around 500,000 homes and is anticipated to generate first power in 2019 and be fully-operational by 2020.

All the offshore wind turbine cranes will be designed and manufactured at Sparrows facilities in Aberdeen for Granada Material Handling. A crane will be installed on each of the farm’s 102 wind turbines with a further crane used for training purposes.

The sizeable award marks Sparrows biggest ever renewables contract to date and firmly establishes their position as an engineering and services provider in the sector. The cranes, part of the firm’s offshore wind specific WindMaster range, are designed for use on offshore wind turbine platforms with 99 per cent of their parts procured within the UK. Production is expected to start early 2017 with final delivery scheduled mid-2018.

Scotland’s First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, said, “Sparrows is using expertise developed in the oil and gas sector and transferring it to other energy and manufacturing sectors. Securing this major contract is a significant milestone for the company, and demonstrates the opportunities that exist for the Scottish supply chain.”

Stewart Mitchell, chief executive officer of Sparrows, said: “This contract award is recognition of the expertise that exists in the UK and we are working hard to ensure we play our part in cementing Aberdeen and the North East as a global skills hub and providing job security for our employees…

“Diversification into multiple sectors and industries is part of our long-term strategy in achieving our business growth aspirations nationally and internationally.”

Charlie Jordan, ScottishPower Renewables’ project director for East Anglia ONE, said, “It is positive to see that many highly-skilled jobs in Aberdeen and the West Midlands will be supported with the award of this contract. Granada and Sparrows have considerable experience in delivering cranes for the offshore environment, and we look forward to working with them.”