SPOTLIGHT ON THE TYNE FEATURE SPONSOR
BRINGING A NEW BREED OF OCEAN GIANTS TO TYNESIDE
The iconic Swan Hunter shipyard, in Wallsend, North Tyneside, gained an almost mythical status as the birth place of some of the world’s iconic ships such as the Mauretania and HMS Ark Royal , but today it is being redeveloped by Kier, in partnership with North Tyneside Council, into a centre for advanced manufacturing.
£100M REDEVELOPMENT The £100m redevelopment of the 20ha site, of which 17ha is designated Enterprise Zone, will allow the newly branded Swans site to become home to a new breed of ocean giant: wind turbines.
Kier is redeveloping the site to appeal to a range of different manufacturing and industrial operations. The Tyneside location and extensive river frontage make it ideally suited to meet the needs of the offshore energy industry and the redevelopment is designed to appeal to this vital sector.
WIND ENERGY While businesses locating at the new site are expected to include firms operating in a range of offshore energy sectors, including oil and gas, it is
the work that Kier is undertaking for wind energy and turbine firms which is attracting particular attention, given the sector’s growing importance and the fact that much current turbine manufacturing and design work is undertaken by firms based outside the UK.
The Tyneside location of the Swans scheme means it is well-positioned for the North Sea and within easy reach of other UK east coast wind farms such as The Thames Array.
the needs of the wind turbine industry, rather than the ship-building sector.
INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS Quayside edge improvements to provide a solid foundation, and the addition of new crane and lift facilities needed to move large structures, generator housing and components onto and off ships are being undertaken. The quayside has also been reconfigured to provide the large areas of open and unobstructed space needed to safely move turbine blades and components.
KEY ATTRACTION
A key attraction of the site for the offshore energy industry is the 300m quay and heavy-load lay-down areas, which give large areas of hard-standing and broad waterside access needed for assembly, maintenance and repair - particularly vital when moving and working on turbines of up to 200m.
Demolition and initial groundwork at the site have been completed and work is currently under way to improve infrastructure, including essential quayside facilities that enable the space to be adapted to meet
The end result will be one of the largest specialist quaysides in the UK and one of only a small number suitable for handling wind turbines.
DREDGING PROGRAMME In addition to improving quayside hard- standing, cranes and lifting infrastructure, an extensive dredging programme is being undertaken to create berthing for ships with up to a 10m draft. The improvements will allow heavy-lift barges to dock at the facility and directly load turbine blades, generator units and other equipment - making use of the geographic features of Tyneside that drew Swan Hunter to the area over 150 years ago.
BESPOKE FACILITIES
The industrial units at the site have also been specifically designed to meet the needs of the wind turbine and offshore sector, with units ranging in size from 465sq m to 46,500sq m.
CENTRE FOR OFFSHORE RENEWABLE ENGINEERING (CORE)
The Enterprise Zone at the Swan Hunter site is one of six Centres for Offshore Renewable Engineering,
enabling businesses
in the sector to get additional investment support from central and local government.
Work on the site started in 2013 and is due to be completed in 2015. Kier and North Tyneside Council are in discussions with a number of potential tenants in the offshore energy and wind farm sector, with the fully occupied site expected to create in the region of 1,000 skilled jobs for the local area.
Kier Group
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www.windenergynetwork.co.uk
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