The BiFab saga has taken another turn as the Belgian company thought responsible for awarding fabrication contracts for the Moray East wind farm turned the spotlight back on the developer.
Responding to letters from former UK minister Brian Wilson and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, DEME Group informed the politicians that project developer Moray (East) Offshore Wind Farm was responsible for any “final tender selection”.
Chief executive of DEME Group Alain Bernard said his firm is responsible only for whittling down candidates, but that “the final choice lies with the project owner who will, we are sure, carefully consider local procurement options”.
Mr Wilson and Mr Brown said last week they were apprehensive that the multi-million pound fabrication contract for the Moray Firth development could go to a foreign firm instead of BiFab.
The UK renewable energy representative for GeoSea added last night: “Through our procurement process Bifab, like all the suppliers, have been given every chance to play a part in the supply of foundations for the Moray East project.”
Asked about some European companies offering cheaper prices due to potential government subsidies, the GeoSea spokesman said: “We can only go on the prices that we’ve received. We aren’t in control of how they’ve arrived at those prices. Each fabricator will have been financed in a different way. That’s really not our business.”
Former energy minister Brian Wilson, who lives on the Isle of Lewis, said: “It is a courteous and reasonably positive response though it makes clear that primary responsibility lies with the project’s owners so obviously there has to be a focus in that direction.
“I wrote in support of the trade unions’ campaign to ensure that everyone knows what this means to BiFab both in Fife and on Lewis and what these yards can offer. The more directions that message comes from, the better.”
Garry Smith of trade union GMB accused both firms of playing “pass the parcel” adding that his organisation was “once again left trying to cut through the spaghetti bowl of ownership and responsibility”.