A £20m contract to deliver the mechanical and engineering design and build to the Siemens Gamesa blade factory expansion in Hull, has been awarded to a city-based company.
Tucker M&E delivered on the original site in 2015 and will once again be working with the main contractor, VolkerFitzpatrick, to deliver the £82 million extension.
Similar in size to six football pitches, the new premises - now emerging at Green Port Hull - will house two wind turbine blade manufacturing facilities, where Siemens Gamesa will produce longer blades for the next generation turbines.
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Mark Snape, managing director of Tucker M&E, said: “Securing this local contract is fantastic for us as a company which secures jobs as well as investment into our business, the local community and region.
“Tucker M&E is committed, not only to people and development, but also to being a spoke in the wheel of the future energy generation for all.”
It is scheduled to complete in the Sutton Fields Industrial Estate firm’s 50th anniversary year, with the 100-strong team set to enter it on a high.
“We are forecasting to achieve a record turnover in the next 12 months due to multiple secured contracts due to commence in 2022,” Mr Snape said of the “timely” win.
Tucker M&E, originally Neville Tucker Heating Ltd, has been commissioned to provide specialist trades for lighting, power, water, humidity control, ventilation, cooling and compressed air.
“The Siemens Gamesa factory is the largest offshore wind manufacturing facility in the UK,” Mr Snape said. “Since confirming its investment in Hull, the company continues to boost the local economy. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.”
The finished steel superstructure will cover almost 42,000 sq m, with phase one of the project well underway with pilings, drainage and foundations in place.
Phase two will involve modifications to the existing blade factory, to repurpose it from a production facility to a finishing area. This will include internal reconfigurations, as well as upgrading, alterations to the exterior, steelwork and doors, allowing for the larger blades to be manoeuvred in and out.
Jon Evans, senior project manager at VolkerFitzpatrick, said: “After successful delivery of the existing blade factory in 2016 we are delighted to once again work with Tucker M&E to deliver the M&E design and build to the new extension.
“With advances in offshore wind technology, Siemens Gamesa continues to invest in local manufacturing, which is great news for Hull contractors that are winning tenders for the works, and the wind-giant will create a further 200 green jobs for local people within the factory.”
Tucker’s work is due to start imminently and complete by May 2023.
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