By Grimsby Telegraph | Posted: 22 Nov 2016

A DANISH corporate giant and a small family business could be the next inward investors to the Grimsby-area’s offshore wind supply chain.

Semco Maritime, a producer of huge offshore platforms, and Stennevad, a personal protective equipment supplier, manufacturer and maintainer, have been on an official visit to the area this week.

Both spoke positively about the town, and the potential for the respective companies, starting on a small scale with the opportunity to build-up.

Semco employs 1,500 people, and earlier this year won the contract to build three substations for Dong Energy’s Hornsea Project One, which will be operated out of the town. It was also responsible for the same equipment within Westermost Rough, which has been generating electricity for more than a year.

Erik Høj Meier, representing the business, said: “We are considering it because our objective is to follow our clients to where they are, the likes of RWE and Dong Energy, they are here. It is a logical thing to look this way.

“It could be a good base to start off here.”

The company looks after engineering, procurement, construction and installation of the huge platforms that feed the electricity generated by the individual turbines back to the shore via the huge export cables.

Semco is also building accommodation units for offshore platforms, a model seen as more efficient as the farms are built further out to sea. It has vast experience in oil and gas, and already has an office in Aberdeen.

September saw an office opened in Norddeich, Germany, to serve Nordsee One wind farm, from RWE.

“Our strategy is to do the same here,” Mr Meier told members of Grimsby Renewables Partnership in a presentation at Humber Cruising Association.

Of the mission, which included a reception at Oaklands Hall Hotel, Laceby and a tour of strategic locations including HCF Catch, Able Marine Energy Park, Port of Immingham, Royal Dock, Grimsby and Port of Grimsby East, as well as the Humber Gateway operations and maintenance base, he said: “It has been very useful, and great to meet so many happy and positive people who look to a bright future, have seen what is happening here and what has been happening.

“I am impressed by how everything has developed, and how huge the industry now is in the Grimsby area. It is my first trip and it was very impressive to have the tour.”

Hornsea’s substations are anticipated to be shipped to site in 2018 from Esbjerg.

Roger Smith, chairman of GRP, said: “It is always positive to welcome these missions and it gives us the opportunity to showcase what we have in Grimsby, which is a tremendous work regime coupled with expanding the already large participation in the offshore wind farm industry.

“It would be superb if we could attract a contractor operation like Semco to Grimsby. You often hear of Grimsby being the Aberdeen of oil and gas when it comes to the renewables industry, and if we can attract a company like Semco it would be tremendous for Grimsby and the region.”

Stennevad, also based in Esbjerg, employs 25 people, having been established in 1960.

It is looking to establish an office in the Humber area, with Grimsby and Hull under consideration.

“We have some partners doing offshore maintenance and we would like to service them, maintain their equipment, to keep the service level as high as possible,” Jens Mortensen said. Praising the hospitality from both GRP and Team Humber Marine Alliance, colleague Kim Vittrup Pedersen added: “It is a great area, it is good to see and I sense some opportunities.”