8:45am Saturday 20th March 2010
By Deborah Johnson
THE region’s offshore and subsea sector was given a boost yesterday with the award of work and investment to two Tees Valley companies, in a move that will create at least 21 jobs.
CTC Marine, based in Darlington, announced it had clinched a deal in the wind energy market for work on a wind farm project in the North Sea.
The work, for German company Norddeutsche Seekabelwerke (NSW), on behalf of Bard Engineering, will see CTC help to install and trench 80 infield cables on the wind farm, which will produce 400MW of power and will be the first large-scale offshore wind farm to reach a water depth of 40 metres.
It rounds off a successful period for CTC, which last year completed a £30m sub-sea contract for oil and gas firm Petrobel off Egypt, and has also won work in the South China Sea and made its first moves into the Middle East.
Meanwhile, Middlesbroughbased Teesside Precision Engineering announced it will create 21 jobs through a £95,000 grant from regional development agency One North East.
The new company provides precision engineering services, mainly to the offshore engineering industry, and the funding will allow it to buy equipment and establish a base on Skippers Lane Industrial Estate in the town.
Daryl Lynch, managing director of CTC Marine, said the wind farm contract is the latest development in a successful period for the firm.
“CTC is looking forward to establishing a productive and long-term relationship with NSW and Bard Engineering in the offshore wind farm business,”
he said.
David Dean, who with Roger Metcalfe and Russell Coates set up Teesside Precision Engineering, said the firm will be looking to take on skilled workers from the area, as well as apprentices.
The company has bought the building and some assets formerly owned by Campbell Machine Company, which went into liquidation in April last year following the loss of several key customers.
Ian Williams, director of business and industry at One North East, said: “Offshore engineering continues to be a growth industry in the North- East and I’m sure Teesside Precision Engineering will become a successful supply chain company.
“This investment offers high-quality job opportunities for skilled employees.”
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