Scottish crane success

Aberdeen-based Sparrows Group has signed a contract to supply 103 cranes for installation at ScottishPower Renewables’ 714 megawatt East Anglia ONE offshore wind farm.

All the 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.

The cranes, which are part of the firm’s offshore wind specific WindMaster range, are designed for use on offshore wind turbine platforms with 99 per cent of their parts procured within the UK. Production is expected to start early 2017 with final delivery scheduled mid-2018.

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. “In line with the Scottish Government’sdraft Energy Strategy, my government will continue to support the recovery of North Sea oil and gas. We will seek to maximise the opportunities for production, exploration, and decommissioning but at the same time, encourage the industry to playa positive role in the low carbon transition.”