Siemens has appointed UK firm BAM Nuttall as the main contractor to complete the civils work on the onshore substation phase of the Triton Knoll offshore wind farm project, in Lincolnshire.
The contract will see BAM Nuttall complete civil and building works including foundations for the transformer, shunt reactor and AIS equipment as well as constructing the internal road, fence and internal drainage works at the new onshore substation being built at Bicker Fen.
The wind farm, 32 kilometers off the Lincolnshire coast, will have a maximum installed generation capacity of 857 MW, once fully operational. Triton Knoll will be capable of providing sufficient clean and sustainable power for the equivalent of at least 800,000 UK homes, making a significant contribution to the UK’s renewable energy targets.
A number of subcontractors have already been appointed by Siemens, which is leading the work to design, supply and build the onshore substation and connection into the nearby National Grid substation or Triton Knoll. These include several firms local to the Lincolnshire site.
Companies completing minor civils work, piling and electrical work have been appointed from Lincoln, Boston and Newark. In addition, Lincolnshire firms are already on-site completing drainage works. Additionally, all the archaeology supervision and necessary works are also being completed by companies local to Lincoln.
With work at Bicker Fen, the site which will house the onshore substation ongoing, there are around 50 people on site and this is expected to increase to around 150 later this year. The first phase of work at Bicker Fen is near completion including the main access road, substation platform and access to the existing National Grid substation on the site. Next phase which includes piling works, has already started and main civil works will start in early May.
Phil Manley, Project Director, Siemens, said: “We are delighted the Triton Knoll project is making real progress and that where possible we are using the local or UK supply chains for the work. This project will form an important part of the UK’s future energy landscape to deliver clean, green energy to homes and businesses.”
John Boal, Divisional Director at BAM Nuttall: “BAM Nuttall is delighted to be appointed as the main civils contractor to complete the offshore wind farm project in collaboration with Siemens. This is an exciting opportunity to further enhance the area of Lincolnshire, which is going to have an incredibly positive impact on both the people and businesses. We look forward to delivering innovative and sustainable solutions and making our contribution to UK energy infrastructure.”
Julian Garnsey, Project Director for Triton Knoll and innogy, said “The construction of our extensive onshore electrical system – the network responsible for delivering renewable electricity to over 800,000 UK homes - is shaping up well, and I am delighted that UK companies are very much at the heart of this activity.
“I’m particularly pleased to see that the commitment of our Triton Knoll project, to support the UK offshore wind supply chain through investments within the UK, is fully supported by our primary contractor Siemens, I’m delighted to welcome BAM Nuttall and look forward to celebrating even more contractors to the project in future.”
Triton Knoll is being delivered from Siemens’ Manchester office and it is anticipated a number of further supply chain contracts will be available for UK companies. During construction of Triton Knoll, the project is expected to support around 3,000 jobs and 170 during operation with the project expected to trigger a capital expenditure investment of around £2 billion into much needed UK energy infrastructure.
