Heavy lift firm Sarens PSG will create 25 jobs in the Granite city with the establishment of a “centre of excellence” for its crane fleet.
The firm, a joint venture between Belgium’s Sarens and PSG Marine and Logistics in Invergordon, said the £1.6 million investment was spurred by plans to establish Great British Energy in the city.
Energy Security and Net Zero Secretary Ed Miliband welcomed the announcement and said his decision to base the publicly-owned energy body in Aberdeen is “already paying dividends”.
The new facility, based in the Energy Transition Zone near the Port of Aberdeen’s £400m south harbour, will deliver a boost to the area’s heavy lifting and engineered transport capabilities as the offshore wind industry gains traction.
Sarens PSG managing director Steve Clark said: “The confirmation of Great British Energy’s HQ in Aberdeen is a game-changer for the city and the wider Scottish energy sector.
“As we push to accelerate offshore wind development, it’s clear we need a unified, dedicated approach to ensure that all the necessary resources – facilities, people, and expertise – are in place.
“Great British Energy’s presence in Aberdeen, along with the £400m south harbour development and other major offshore wind initiatives, made Aberdeen the ideal location for our new centre of excellence.”
© Supplied by Sarens PSGThe £8.5 billion GB Energy will manage and operate clean power projects up and down the country and is expected to bring hundreds of jobs to Aberdeen.
In addition to this, the ScotWind leasing round is expected to deliver dozens of offshore wind farms in Scottish waters. Significant investment in ports capacity and other facilities aimed at the sector is taking place across the country, although there are also concerns about delays in investments and headwinds such as capacity constraints.
Clark said he hopes the government-owned energy body will “turbocharge” significant green energy projects.
“The offshore wind sector is a critical part of achieving our net-zero targets, but we’ve not been moving fast enough,” he said.
“With the support of Great British Energy and other key players, we now have the opportunity to turbocharge the delivery of these projects and ensure Scotland remains at the forefront of renewable energy development.”
© Kenny Elrick/DC ThomsonMiliband said: “Great British Energy is already off to a flying start in its mission to ramp-up the UK’s clean energy revolution.
“Our decision to put Great British Energy’s roots down in Aberdeen is already paying dividends, with fresh investment and new jobs from Sarens PSG that will help ensure the city thrives as Scotland’s clean energy capital.
“This comes on top of our recent agreement with the Scottish Government, that committed to explore opportunities for Great British Energy to partner with public bodies in accelerating clean energy deployment in Scotland.”
Scottish Secretary Ian Murray also welcomed the “fantastic news”.
He said: “We are already seeing the benefits of Great British Energy’s HQ being in Aberdeen and this is more fantastic news for Aberdeen and the energy sector in Scotland.
“Sarens PSG creating new jobs focussed on renewables will help towards the UK Government’s target of ensuring that all electricity comes from zero-carbon generation by 2030.
“We want the full benefits from our energy sector to be felt by people and communities in Scotland and I am delighted to welcome 25 new jobs to the north east.”
The new facility will support the maintenance and repair of Sarens PSG’s specialist fleet, providing in-house servicing to ensure its equipment remains operational and ready to deploy on large-scale renewable energy projects across Scotland.
Set to go live next year, the site will be handed over later this month after the Highlands-headquartered firm acquired the site in Altens from Aberdeen housebuilder, Forbes Homes.
It will be equipped with heavy-duty capabilities such as inspection pits, brake testing equipment, and a wash bay to maximise uptime for Sarens PSG’s fleet of cranes and other heavy lifting equipment.
The centre of excellence will feature 6,734 sq ft of office space, 8,138 sq ft of maintenance facilities, and a 36,640 sq ft storage yard.
Clark added: “This centre of excellence will be a world-class facility dedicated to supporting the delivery of offshore wind projects.
“It will provide us with a cutting-edge base for both engineering and operations, as well as a bespoke maintenance and training hub that ensures we remain at the forefront of the industry.”
Sarens PSG was founded to support Scotland’s renewable energy sector, with a focus on providing marshalling, assembly, deployment and integration solutions to the offshore wind industry. The company is also exploring opportunities in green hydrogen and pumped hydro projects, both of which hold significant promise for Scotland’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
Since the joint venture was founded, Sarens PSG has invested £12m in equipment and operational facilities. The company is currently negotiating several multi-million-pound contracts and plans to expand significantly in the coming years.
Earlier this year, Sarens PSG successfully marshalled 62 of the largest monopiles ever handled in the UK, each weighing around 2,000 tonnes. The company is also involved in the construction of quay walls at the Port of Ardersier, which is set to become Scotland’s largest dedicated offshore wind deployment port.
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