UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE - Wind Energy Network

SPONSORS OF EAST OF SCOTLAND
Highlands
Fabricators
a joint
venture
In 1972, and in response to the
UK’s entry into oil & gas production
offshore a few years earlier, a joint
venture company between Brown &
Root and Wimpey, called Highlands
Fabricators, was established and
the Nigg yard was opened. At its
peak, over a 30 year period, the yard
employed up to 5,000 people and
produced about one third of the UK’s
large offshore structures for oil & gas
production. In 2002, the yard was
moth-balled as no further orders were
received and subsequently put up for
sale by KBR (the owners).
Global Energy Group – Energy
Park
Global Energy Group saw a unique
opportunity to acquire Nigg and develop
the yard and port as an Energy Park, to
attract work into the facility for oil & gas
projects, Renewables and other energy
related ventures. Global completed the
purchase in October 2011 and have since
embarked on an aggressive investment
program to bring the yard back to life and
refurbish/update its infrastructure.
Current work undertaken
The work that is currently undertaken
includes: drilling rig repair/maintenance/
upgrade; construction of structures for
oil & gas subsea/topsides projects; yard
and port logistics for energy related
marine operations. The company has
also worked on a number of marine tidal/
wave prototype projects and hopes to
obtain further work in future. Nigg was
used a few years ago for the assembly of
the Beatrice Offshore Wind demonstrator
project. In the last year, the yard has
employed up to 750 people at any one
time and in future, after the introduction of
other work, the yard could employ up to
1,500/2,000people.
Company strategy – offshore
wind industry
As part of the company strategy, a mix of
energy contracts will be brought to Nigg,
to ensure that employment opportunities
for the local community and beyond, are
sustainable going forward. The company
has some exciting new business concepts
that will be announced shortly, especially
looking at the offshore wind industry,
which is being developed around the
Scottish Coastline.
Global Energy, with funding support from
public sector agencies, opened Nigg Skills
Academy to ensure that locally trained
skilled tradesman are available to assist
the company’s expansion plans and assist
in addressing the skills shortages within
the energy industry.
Largest private employer
Global Energy are the largest private
employer in the Highlands and Islands
and in addition to Nigg, they have facilities
at Rosyth, Dunfermline, Aberdeen and
around the Inverness/Cromarty Firth
area. With a projected turnover of £350
million and over 4,200 currently employed
worldwide. The company is engaged in
energy related work from construction,
to inspection and quality management
services, offshore accommodation,
architectural work, fabrication and
brownfield integrity support to offshore
oil & gas operators. They also have a
major presence in the market for Human
Resource Management/Manpower
Services.
Global Energy Group
www.gegroup.com
www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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