Offshore wind mills presents a great business opportunity for the steel industry in the future, Richard Freeman, Manager for Product and Market Development in Tata Steel said to The Northern Echo.
Tata Steel invested £2m in the Hartlepool tube mills in October. They are planning to establish a supply base for steel tubular sections used in jacket foundations. They will not manufacture their own jackets, but they surely will provide components that are needed for fabricators to complete jacket foundations.
Customers will be able to get all steel components from a single supplier.
„If we make jackets, we become a competitor to our customers. What we’d rather do is supply them all“, said Richard Freeman.
Tata Steel has plans to supply German steel tube producer Eisenbau Kramer with the components. Since the wind industry is enjoying massive growth, the company sees its opportunity in the future. The company is part of the cluster group which promotes the North-East as a natural home for firms in the offshore sector.
[mappress]
Offshore WIND staff, February 06, 2012