Rigmar delivers inspection and maintenance contract for Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm

Leading global inspection, maintenance and marine services company, Rigmar Group, has successfully delivered a two-year contract to carry out inspection and maintenance for the Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm.

The project, delivered in 2019 and 2020, is the largest inspection and maintenance contract awarded at the Aberdeen Offshore Windfarm by Vattenfall, which owns the 11-turbine facility off the coast of the city.

Rigmar specialises in the provision of asset integrity, fabric maintenance and marine services to both offshore and onshore energy and infrastructure sectors and was the first Scottish company to secure such a contract, during the operational phase of the Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm, managing inspection and maintenance both above and below the water.

Valued at six figures per annum, the project was delivered by teams comprising a total of sixteen Rigmar personnel and included underwater surveys and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) inspections, data processing and chart production, rope access inspection and maintenance.  The contract covered the offshore balance of plant works including the transition pieces, foundations and inter-array and export cables up to and including the landfall at Blackdog.  Rigmar supplied all project resources including the personnel, survey vessel, equipment and ROV for the offshore survey.

Founded in 2007, the Rigmar Group, which is headquartered in Aberdeen, has 57 full time employees, supplemented by consultants and contractors around the world to add additional support to specific projects.  The company has previous wind farm experience and utilises its oil and gas expertise to support the renewables industry.

Rigmar chief executive, Keith Nelson, said: “We are one of a small number of  companies with the expertise and management structure to deliver full inspection and maintenance services above and below the water and our multi-disciplined and highly qualified personnel worked seamlessly with the Vattenfall team to successfully complete the project safely, on time and in budget.

“This was our first offshore wind project as a main contractor, and we have proven that our skills and expertise from decades operating in the oil and gas industry is fully transferrable to the renewables industry.”

The 11 turbines off the coast of Aberdeen, have a total generating capacity of 96.8 MW, which can supply the equivalent of 70% of Aberdeen’s household electricity demand. The project will annually prevent more than 130,000 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

Vattenfall is one of the largest producers of wind power in the world, currently operating approximately 1,100 wind turbines across five countries. With an ambitious growth portfolio, Vattenfall’s goal is to be fossil-fuel free within one generation.

Operations and maintenance manager for Vattenfall, Alexandra Richards, said: “We initially awarded the contract to Rigmar due to their transferrable experience from the oil & gas industry and the fact that they were a local company with above and below water capabilities and an excellent safety record.

“We had the same team over the two years which maintained continuity on the project and resulted in a successful delivery with no zero Lost Time Incidents.  This year we had the added challenge of the ongoing global pandemic, but Rigmar still managed to deliver on time and within budget whilst operating with challenging mitigation measures, including social distancing.   

“Their communications were transparent throughout and they are a very proactive team of technicians who worked well with our team and our other suppliers.”

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