Member Article

Treasury chief visits Teesside wind farm factory

TAG Energy Solutions played host to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander MP, during a visit to Teesside.

Mr Alexander was given a tour of TAG Energy Solution’s 6,920 square metre automated tubular production facility and met a number of the company’s skilled engineers and support staff.

The facility has the ability to roll and weld large diameter tubulars and the construction of foundations including monopiles, tripods, jackets and transition pieces.

Located on a 42 acre site on the banks of the River Tees, the production facility is joined by a large construction hall, extensive wet dock, a blast and paint facility and a 6000te load out quay.

TAG is currently producing 16 monopiles and transition pieces for E.ON’s prestigious Humber Gateway offshore wind farm.

The project represents a significant turbine foundation contract for a UK wind farm to be awarded to a newly established UK manufacturer.

During his visit Mr Alexander met some of TAG’s 150-strong workforce that has been established to serve the Humber Gateway project along with a number of other contracts for the UK and German markets.

Danny Alexander MP said: “Offshore wind is a major part of our need to meet our future energy requirements and we need to make sure that British businesses and British workers are getting the benefit from that. Companies like TAG are at the forefront and it’s so encouraging to see this business and the work it is doing to ensure we capitalise on what is a huge economic growth area for the country.”

Alex Dawson, Chief Executive of TAG Energy Solutions, said: “We were delighted to welcome Mr Alexander to TAG. It gave us another opportunity to demonstrate to government that the North East has a vibrant manufacturing sector that is not only geared up for the growth of the offshore wind sector, but is delivering now.

“With the support of government, the UK offshore wind supply chain can flourish and ensure that it can carve out a strong proportion of the market against the competition from the more established European supply chain.

“I am confident that Mr Alexander has seen first-hand the importance of the offshore wind sector to the UK, not only by securing a stronger contribution to the energy mix from renewable resources, but for the manufacturing and service sectors built to serve the sector that can make a considerable contribution to UK plc.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin Walker .