Ørsted and Haizea Bilbao have signed a contract under which Haizea Wind Group will manufacture and supply XXL monopiles for the Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm in its new Bilbao plant.
This contract, subject to Ørsted taking a Final Investment Decision, comes after the previous agreement signed last January that set the basis for co-operation between the two companies and the more recent award of the Contract for Difference to the Hornsea 3 project in July in the Allocation Round 4.
Borja Zárraga, CEO of Haizea Wind Group, declared that “A contract like this provides certainty and stability to our business plan and certainly adds value to our shareholders, employees and suppliers. Furthermore, we are delighted to work for the market leader in offshore wind and join the recently launched decarbonization programme and its ambitious yet necessary targets”
Jos Buijks, Managing Director of the Bilbao Monopile plant, highlighted the fact that “the new Bilbao Monopile factory will be a state-of-the-art factory where we will be able to produce the most challenging designs in the industry in a safe, efficient and sustainable manner. The signature of this contract is the result of the confidence that our robust plan has inspired in Ørsted, who is probably the most knowledgeable client in this industry. Also, the synergies with the existing Offshore Tower facility where we currently employ more than 400 people and produce 8m diameter tubulars, and the strategic location in the port of Bilbao will bring additional benefits to our company and the whole offshore industry”
Luke Bridgman, Ørsted’s Senior Project Director for Hornsea 3, commented: “As well as providing low-cost clean energy at scale, Hornsea 3 is also supporting the further development of the renewable energy supply chain. Ørsted is proud to have been constructing and operating offshore wind projects for over 30 years – through these projects, we continue to work with new and expanding players coming into the market to support reducing the cost of energy. We look forward to Haizea becoming a key partner in the delivery of Hornsea 3”.
The contract will be the largest single contract ever secured by Haizea Wind Group.
During its execution, Haizea will be responsible for procurement of materials, Engineering of the fabrication process and fabrication of the XXL monopiles that will be delivered to Ørsted in the port of Bilbao. This is aligned with the strategic growth plan of Haizea that includes the target to become one of the most important players in the Offshore Wind value chain, and more specifically secure a relevant position within foundation supply & manufacturing companies.
The Construction of the building for the new monopile plant will commence in the coming weeks and is schedule to be operational in the second half of 2023.
The port of Bilbao will also reinforce its position as one of the most important Offshore Wind Hubs in the south of Europe.
About Ørsted
Ørsted is one of the leading Offshore Wind operators globally, with 30% of market share in Offshore Wind, and has one of the most ambitious targets in the industry to become carbon neutral by 2025.
