A FAIR wind this month for Harwich International Port, which has announced a new contract to act as the UK installation port for Phase 1 of the enormous London Array offshore wind farm.

HIP certainly comes to this project with all the right experience, having handled components for Greater Gabbard, Thanet and Gunfleet Sands developments already – in fact its owner, Hutchison Ports (UK), believes that more turbines have passed through Harwich than any other UK port. Experience counts for a great deal when handling such large, complex and sensitive components.

This new contract is with Aarsleff Bilfinger Berger Joint Venture (ABJV), the installation contractor for the London Array, which at 1,000 MW is the world’s largest consented wind farm. Located in the outer Thames estuary, the development could eventually power up to 750,000 homes, the equivalent of a quarter of Greater London. Phase 1, already under way and due to complete next year, will consist of 175 Siemens 3.6 MW turbines.

Harwich’s involvement is fantastic recognition of what the port has achieved so far and there are a good deal more opportunities out there on the horizon – in supporting manufacturing, assembly, construction, operation and maintenance of offshore wind turbines. These are activities which can create hundreds of long-term jobs.

The UK is already leading the way in Europe with 1,341 MW of offshore wind capacity installed. This will be dwarfed by Round 3 of the country’s offshore wind farms and it’s important to remember that there are also significant opportunities for working on wind farms off the coasts of the Netherlands and Belgium, for example.

“This is a huge market with big opportunities,” said Richard Marks, business development director at maritime consultants Royal Haskoning, who recently told Lloyd’s List that Bathside Bay was “one of the biggest and best-located sites on the east coast for serving wind farms in the UK and European waters”.

HPUK is looking at the possibility of using its site at Bathside Bay – which offers ample space, deep water and sheltered berths – for wind port use before it will be required for container traffic. HPUK has been in discussions with a number of potential wind port users and has the benefit of strong local authority support including Tending District Council, which is very keen to help attract developers to the area.

There are concerns that a government funding pot of £60m to help establish offshore wind manufacturing at port sites may skew the arguments – because this funding is only available to ‘assisted areas’, which don’t include Harwich. But the general consensus seems to be that, above all, offshore wind farm developers will look for, and choose, the best sites, with the best facilities, in the right places. Harwich certainly ticks all the boxes!