RWE is investing in an operations hub at Grimsby’s Royal Dock on the UK east coast, expanding the existing Triton Knoll offshore wind farm base.
The new facility will be the home for RWE’s specialist team for major component exchanges and offshore repairs.
Operations and maintenance (O&M) activities for RWE’s 1.4GW Sofia offshore wind farm will also be located at the new hub in future.
Construction is due to start in early 2022 and will run until the end of 2022, with first occupation expected later in 2023.
Once constructed, the new facility will include a joint control room offering 24/7 monitoring of multiple sites, new shared office space, and separate warehouse facilities.
In total, RWE expects the new facility will accommodate around 140 RWE employees, with potentially around 60 new jobs created, plus indirect jobs required in support.
The Grimsby hub will also enable the company to strengthen its relationship with the region’s businesses and local communities, by committing to a longer-term presence in the area, RWE said.
RWE Renewables Wind Offshore CEO Sven Utermohlen said: “The Grimsby Hub will be a significant facility for RWE, where we will establish a dynamic one-team approach for the operation of our two largest offshore wind farms.
“By clustering our operations and control room activities in one place, we can share knowledge, expertise and learning that will be beneficial to the whole RWE offshore fleet.
“Long term this will ensure our projects deliver efficient, cost-effective electricity, and help RWE achieve its target of becoming carbon neutral by 2040.”
The location of the Grimsby hub was chosen because of its proximity to existing and future projects and its deepwater quayside, which is suited to the use of service operations vessels (SOVs).
RWE will lease an additional 1.3 acres of land to enable the expansion.
