Growth eyed as Port of Grimsby East sails into WindEnergy Hamburg
Key figures from Grimsby Fish Dock Group are heading to Germany for a huge conference and exhibition focusing on the town's burgeoning industry.
Chief executive Andrew Oliver, finance director Ben Walker and Terri Precious, managing director of specialist business unit Offshore Training Centre Grimsby, are travelling across the North Sea for the major international event next week.
They will be highlighting the facilities on offer at the heart of the UK's largest offshore wind operations and maintenance cluster when it comes to inward investing companies, crew skills and vessel provision.
GFDG operates Port of Grimsby East, the first port on the Humber, from where the town's emergence in the sector began. Home to several wind farm bases, it is the start of the daily commute for scores of engineers as they keep the turbines off the coasts of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire generating clean electricity.
The port is also home to the group's dedicated training base, where working at height and sea survival are core Global Wind Organisation-certified courses delivered; and Grimsby Shipyard Services, where the vessels themselves can be lifted out of the water, inspected, maintained and repaired, before returning to service exactly where they are needed.
Mr Oliver is in his first few months as chief executive, but is a familiar figure in the industry thanks to his role as chair of Humber Marine and Renewables and career in maritime law.
He said: "This is a global event and we want to use our presence there to put OTC, the port, Grimsby and the Humber on the map. We are a key part of such an important cluster for UK wind, and we want to do and offer more for the industry. We have the appetite, the space and the location to do just that."
With the huge Hornsea Three and Sofia wind farms under construction, and the original Lynn and Inner Dowsing nearing 20 years of operations, a huge amount of experience in construction and operation has been built up.
WindEnergy Hamburg welcomes 600 exhibiting companies and is spread across 11 halls totalling 83,000 sq m, with 30 national pavilions and more than 43,000 delegates from 100 countries.
Terri, who has just been shortlisted for an industry award, is keen to ensure international operators are aware of what OTC Grimsby can provide.
She has just welcomed a new full-time instructor in Terry Taylor, bringing valuable experience and expertise from his career in the fire service, while investing in the latest industry equipment to support what is delivered.
"Events that bring the industry together are so useful when it comes to explaining our offer," she said. "We're at the heart of one of the world's most important offshore wind clusters, with vital facilities – crucial for compliance – yards from where crews sail from.
"When it comes to time-saving and efficiency, we're perfectly placed, and we're proud of the quality we deliver. Now we're going to tell the world!"
WindEnergy Hamburg takes place between September 22 and September 25.
Anyone keen to meet with Grimsby Fish Dock Group representatives there should email info@grimsbyfishmarket.co.uk in the first instance.
