Member Article

Multi-million Humber Able Marine Energy Park work commences

Work has commenced at the Able Marine Energy Park on the South Bank of the Humber, after a Parliamentary Committee cleared the way for the multi-million pound project.

Workers are now preparing the site and bulldozers are preparing the infrastructure development which is being supported by a £15 million grant provided through the Government’s Enterprise Zone ‘Foundations for Growth’ Capital Grant Fund

It was announced by the Communities and Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles when he visited the AMEP site in August.

Says Able Group development director Neil Etherington “Clearly the decision by the Joint Committee of members of the House of Commons and the Lords, rejecting Associated British Port’s petitions against AMEP, has given added impetus to the work now underway at the site.

“In fact our programme of construction works at Able Humber Port will be on-going for the next five years, creating 350 full-time equivalent jobs—and the overall AMEP project is set to deliver over 4,000 direct jobs as well providing the catalyst for growing the Humber as the UK ‘Energy Estuary.’

“The equipment we have brought in to undertake the infrastructure work is just part of our overall investment programme—this year we have acquired the UK’s largest harbour crane, now operating at Able Seaton Port on the Tees, along with giant self-propelled modular transporters which can be used for moving larger structures ranging from decommissioned offshore structures to wind turbines and foundations.

“Further equipment will be arriving over the coming months and, as well as the developments on the Humber, we are investing around £25 million in upgrading and expanding facilities at Able Seaton Port, including constructing new quays in preparation for our six-year contract to decommission four major structures from the Shell Brent field in the North Sea, with one of the quays able to be used for structures of up to 48,000 tonnes.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .