09.02.2017

Sparrows lands 103 crane deal

UK based offshore crane company Sparrows Group has won a contract to supply 103 cranes for the East Anglia ONE offshore wind farm.

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

Located off the coast of Suffolk, the 714 megawatt 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.
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A Sparrow WindMaster offshore wind turbine crane

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."

Sparrows chief executive Stewart Mitchell added: “East Anglia ONE is a large scale and high-profile wind farm that will deliver substantial benefits for the UK for many years to come. 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.

“We have utilised our extensive knowledge of operations and maintenance to design a range of highly reliable and low maintenance offshore wind turbine cranes that are ideal for the renewables sector. Diversification into multiple sectors and industries is part of our long-term strategy in achieving our business growth aspirations nationally and internationally.”