OREANDA-NEWS. Galloper Offshore Wind Farm Limited can confirm the signing of an agreement with Associated British Ports (ABP) to locate its Operations and Maintenance (O&M) base at Lowestoft. The port is already home to the O&M base for Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm and will now become home of the Galloper Offshore Wind Farm O&M team for the operating life time of the wind farm.

The old fish market in Lowestoft, adjacent to the existing Grater Gabbard O&M base will be converted to accommodate the base. The local area will no doubt benefit from the multi million pound conversion and the long term skilled engineering jobs available at the port to staff the base.

Confirming the decision, Galloper Wind Farm Project Director Bart Oberink said: “The ABP Port of Lowestoft has proved itself extremely capable as the base of the existing Greater Gabbard Wind Farm. We are delighted to confirm this port for Galloper Wind Farm.”

The investment into the ABP Port of Lowestoft is Galloper's highest value, long-term contract awarded to date and reinforces the company's commitment to investing into the South East area.

Today's assurance provides increased security for many of the businesses established nearby which are linked to supporting the existing operating wind farms.

ABP Deputy Port Manager East Anglia, Roger Arundale, said: “This contract is a great vote of confidence for our port and the wider area. This contract, together with the decision to establish the O&M Base for the Greater Gabbard Wind Farm is a welcome consolidation of Suffolk's 'green' coast acting as a springboard for investment and job creation in the locality.”

Member of Parliament for Waveney, Peter Aldous said “It's great news that Galloper Wind Farm have confirmed that the Port of Lowestoft will be their operations and maintenance base. This long term commitment reinforces Lowestoft's position as an emerging hub for the offshore renewables sector and will help bring jobs and infrastructure investment to the area.”

Galloper Wind Farm is a joint venture with RWE Innogy UK and SSE. It represents a multi-billion pound investment and once operational, could generate enough energy to power the equivalent domestic needs of around 330,000 average UK households.