Image: SGC-250, the Sarens Giant Crane nicknamed “Big Carl” by the Port of Ghent.
Tugdock and Sarens have successfully secured funding from The Crown Estate through the initial round of its innovative Supply Chain Accelerator. This is match funding for a joint project by Tugdock and Sarens to develop a heavy lift Operations and Maintenance (O&M) hub at ABP’s port of Port Talbot in Wales.
With key support from major industry players such as ABP and RWE, and other partnerships, the vision for the facility is to provide world class support for heavy lift equipment used in floating offshore wind projects in the Celtic Sea.
Port Talbot’s strategic location near the Celtic Sea makes it an optimal hub for supporting floating offshore wind projects, significantly reducing transit times and operational costs for maintenance, assembly, and logistics.
Established in May 2024, the Supply Chain Accelerator is a £50m fund created to accelerate and de-risk the early-stage development of UK supply chain projects that service the offshore wind sector.
Sarens is the global leader and reference in crane rental services, heavy lifting and engineered transport.
Tugdock specialises in engineering and deployment of Tugdock Submersible Platforms (TSPs) for offshore transport and logistics projects. The Tugdock technology consists of modular road transportable steel space frames utilising patented inflatable Tugdock Buoyancy Units (TBUs). The TBUs are filled with compressed air and can be inflated or deflated as required to provide the required buoyancy, stability and control for operations such as load outs, floating, submerging, and lifting. By confining the TBUs into a space frame configuration and deck arrangement, the product can be used as additional buoyancy modules or as submersible platforms up to 120m x 120m. It is a lighter, shallow drafted, quicker, and more cost-effective alternative to a steel hulled barges, floating docks, or large port infrastructure developments.
The partnership between Sarens and Tugdock enables the two companies to jointly offer novel solutions to the fast-growing floating offshore wind industry.
Lucas Lowe Houghton, Chief Revenue Officer at Tugdock, said:
“The Tugdock and Sarens O&M facility is poised to boost the competitiveness of Port Talbot in both the national and global floating offshore wind markets in the years to come. Collectively we will ensure that ABP’s Port Talbot is enabled with a heavy lift facility that can attract and retain major clients and maintain the UK’s leading position in the floating offshore wind industry. By leveraging this opportunity we aim to unlock local steel and concrete manufacturing by offering a range of solutions for assembly, loadout and launching.”
Carl Sarens, Director of Global Operations, Technical Solutions and Engineering at Sarens said:
“The Sarens and Tugdock O&M hub will provide a wide range of services including heavy lifting equipment such as cranes and TSPs, assembly areas, storage, training, and consultancy. This all-encompassing service model reduces the need for clients to engage multiple contractors, simplifying project management and reducing overall costs.
“The Tugdock and Sarens O&M hub will help create significant employment opportunities at Port Talbot, both directly and indirectly, contributing to regional economic development.”
In early 2024, The Crown Estate published the Celtic Sea Blueprint which predicted that 5,300 jobs and a £1.4bn economic boost could be generated through deploying the first floating offshore wind capacity, that will result from the current Leasing Round 5 process, in the waters off South Wales and South-West England.
The research highlighted a number of opportunities for supply chain growth essential for the development of these floating wind farms, including floating platform components; dynamic cables and connections; wet storage infrastructure and facilities; operations and management infrastructure and facilities; and skills transition facilities.
The Crown Estate’s role is to create long-term value for the country, and it focuses on using the land and seabed it manages to help catalyse net zero, restore nature, create thriving communities and drive economic growth.
Will Apps, Offshore Wind Strategy Director at The Crown Estate, said:
“It’s fantastic to announce the successful organisations receiving funding through our Supply Chain Accelerator. We’ve been encouraged by the level of interest the Accelerator has generated in the market and are delighted with the calibre and range of projects which we’ll be supporting.
“The purpose of the Accelerator is to help grow and nurture the UK’s domestic supply chain, a crucial factor if the UK is to realise the potential of offshore wind in delivering its ambitious clean power and net zero goals, contributing to jobs and prosperity in communities across the UK.”
