Reynolds: Vattenfall’s New OWFs Big Boost for Norfolk Economy

Vattenfall’s announcement that it wants to work closely with Norfolk (UK) businesses in the development of its huge wind farms off the county’s coast has been welcomed by Johnathan Reynolds, business development lead at the renewables hub OrbisEnergy.

In the announcement, Ruari Lean, Vattenfall’s project manager for Norfolk Vanguard, said his company wanted to work with the county to capture the benefits of offshore wind. There was an opportunity for Norfolk business and jobs, and a chance to make a telling impact in the UK’s contribution to tackling climate change, he added.

“Its announcement could not have been plainer, and its intention to work with Norfolk suppliers will give the local economy a massive boost,” Reynolds said. “It also shows the Swedish company’s confidence in the experience and expertise of the area’s supply chain, which has been working on major projects in the southern North Sea for decades.”

Reynolds said the latest announcement was further good news for the region, coming hard on the heels of Statoil’s decision to base the Dudgeon wind farm operations and maintenance base in Great Yarmouth, ScottishPower Renewables choice of Yarmouth as the construction and installation port for its East Anglia ONE wind farm, and the selection of Lowestoft for the Galloper wind farm construction base.

Norfolk and Suffolk has more offshore wind farms in place or in development than any other region in the world, OrbisEnergy pointed out.

Reynolds added he appreciated the Swedish company’s decision to honour one of Norfolk’s most famous sons by naming its fields after two of the ships on which Lord Nelson sailed, Vanguard and Boreas. He said Norfolk-born Nelson was one of Britain’s greatest naval heroes and he thought Vattenfall had chosen well in the names of its wind farms.

Reynolds said: “Having chosen to name its wind farms after two of Lord Nelson’s ships, Vattenfall clearly sees the sites as Norfolk developments, and that will further hearten the renewables supply chain in the region after other positive announcements recently.”