North East manufacturer Metec toasts £6.5m offshore contract wins

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A South Tyneside manufacturer has sealed offshore renewables contracts worth over £6.5m.

Jarrow based Metec UK, which specialises in corrosion protection for high value subsea kit, will supply the Dogger Bank Wind Farm phases A and B, as well as a second offshore substation in France as part of the deals.

The fast-growing company secured two six-figure sum French renewables contracts in 2021 for two offshore substations, along with two multimillion-pound contracts awarded by Smulders for the Dogger Bank Wind Farm, which will become the largest offshore wind farm in the world once complete.

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Other contract wins include protection for port and harbour works linked to the push for renewable energy generation offshore.

The operations and maintenance base for Dogger Bank, being built at the Port of Tyne, will be the main hub for the wind farm, which will eventually be capable of powering six million homes. The wind farm has already created or supported thousands of new jobs and will be built in three phases, Dogger Bank A, B and C.

Metec’s latest success follows hot on the heels of a number of contracts wins in December 2020, including one off the coast of Scotland and two offshore substation jackets off the coast of France and Holland.

Established four years ago, Metec UK, which has manufacturing facilities in South Shields and Tunisia with representation around the globe, initially employed just six people but now has 45 people.

Turnover has increased from £5.2m in its first year to £8.6m in 2020, and with a host of new projects in the pipeline the company said it will see revenue growth exceed its original target of 5% to 7% for the year 2020/2021.

With an initial investment in 2016 from its Italian owners, Metec UK and the group has strengthened its position in the market and strategically positions the business to support the renewable energy transition within Europe and the UK.

Alberto Via, UK managing director, said: “These latest successes – and in particular the flagship Dogger Bank Wind Farm contract – justifies our commitment to South Tyneside, the North East and the UK. Our success demonstrates our ability to support large, important and prestigious renewable energy projects of this nature throughout the UK and Europe.

“We have the capacity, capability and expertise at Metec that places us right at the heart of where we need to be in an industry which is set to see significant growth and investment over the next 10 years.

“As a young, ambitious and expanding company, which has invested over £4m in premises and furnaces since 2017, we expect to see further growth throughout 2021. We are in this for the long term and we’re very excited for the future of Metec and the industry as a whole.”

Graeme Crow, sales and commercial manager at Metec, said: “We’re delighted to win these latest contracts and to be at the forefront of one of the great success stories for our region and industry. It’s great news for South Tyneside, the North East and the UK.

“These contract wins mean we will continue to be a key player in the renewables industry in the UK and across Europe. In particular, significant investment in other offshore wind projects and developments at the Port of Tyne and many other ports and harbours around the UK and Ireland over the next decade will lead to many more tremendous opportunities for Metec. Business is good – we continue to grow rapidly and we’re looking forward to a very bright future.”

Halfdan Brustad, vice president for Dogger Bank at Equinor, added: “As we build up our operations in South Tyneside it’s great to see a local company not only win this flagship contract with the world’s biggest offshore wind farm, but also exporting to other countries.”