Great Yarmouth: Firm loses contract to build windfarm

Seajacks help provide vessels to service the offshore industry

A Great Yarmouth company has lost its contract to help build a giant windfarm off the Norfolk coast.

SeaJacks UK won a contract with ScottishPower Renewables two years ago - which the firm said would have created 75 skilled jobs and five apprenticeships.

Now delays to construction have seen the contract re-let to Dutch company Van Oord, the BBC understands.

A Seajacks UK spokesman said it hoped to get future contracts.

Charlie Jordan, project director of ScottishPower Renewables's East Anglia One windfarm, said while SeaJacks may have lost out on that project, it has picked up other work.

He said the offshore industry was "booming. Everyone's working and no-one is losing out".

A spokesman for Van Oord said it had been commissioned by "ScottishPower Renewables... to function as the main contractor for our East Anglia One windfarm responsible for transport and installation of the offshore wind turbine foundations, including logistics and deployment of the equipment".

A spokesman for Seajacks UK in a statement said it "does not have a contract to install jackets on East Anglia One, but the company remains hopeful that it will be well placed for any additional installation work that materialises on the project".

Since 2009 Seajacks' vessels have installed more than 125 turbines at Walney and Greater Gabbard offshore wind farms in the UK.