Bauer Keller JV Secures Piling Works for Teesside Monopile Manufacturing Facility
The Joint Venture of Bauer Technologies (a subsidiary of the BAUER Group), and Keller UK (a subsidiary of Keller Group), has been awarded the piling contract for the construction of a new £300 million wind turbine monopile manufacturing facility in Teesside, which when fully operational, is expected to produce between 100 and 150 monopiles per year, for transporting directly from the factory to Teesworks’ new South Bank Quay facility, before heading to the North Sea for installation.
Specifically, Bauer Keller Joint Venture (BKJV) has been appointed by client SeAH Wind Ltd, to provide multiple rigs to install approximately 1500nr bored piles (1180 - 1050mm diameter) to around 35mbgl and approximately 5500nr CFA piles (600/750/900mm diameter) to around 28mbgl. BKJV will also provide resources to probe pile locations to identify obstructions / slag within the ground, in order for them to be either removed or considered for an updated design.
Being constructed across a 90-acre site, once completed, the project will be the world’s largest monopile plant for offshore wind foundations and is due to start production in 2024, and be operating at full capacity in 2026.
Speaking about the project, Michael Jones, Managing Director of Bauer Technologies, said: “This project is extremely high profile, ultimately manufacturing the offshore wind monopiles foundations, a critical component of the UK’s necessary shift towards renewable energy generation.
Michael Added: “As both Bauer and Keller are committed to sustainability, this project aligns completely with our sustainability aims.”
David de Sousa Neto, Managing Director of Keller UK, commented: “We are delighted to be a part of this project which demonstrates BKJV’s capabilities, by bringing up to 14 rigs onto the project to perform both CFA and rotary piles in order to support the client to achieve its ambitious deadline.”
Works on the project commenced June 2022 and are expected to run well into mid-2023.
