Formed in 2006, Seajacks operate self-propelled jack-up vessels for the industry and pride themselves on staying one step ahead in a fast-changing industry. We caught up with the company’s CEO, Blair Ainslie, who gave us the inside track on a fast-expanding organisation that’s looking forward to taking delivery of a game-changing vessel later this year.
PES: Welcome to the magazine. Would you like to explain a little about the company’s background and explain how you serve the wind industry?
Blair Ainslie: Operating from our Great Yarmouth headquarters, Seajacks has worked on many projects in the renewables sector, from installing Sheringham Shoal to project managing the construction of Meerwind Offshore Wind Park.
Now employing over 300 people, Seajacks currently owns and operates four vessels – Kraken, Leviathan, Zaratan and Hydra. Scylla, the world’s largest purpose built WTIV will be delivered in October 2015.
PES: When did wind become a viable market for you? Is it an area that promises further growth?
BA: Seajacks instantly recognised the wind industry’s need for a reliable and cost efficient vessel operator who can safely deliver an installation and maintenance service, which is what we have been doing since 2009 when we installed Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm.
Owned by SSE and based off the Suffolk coast this was a great project for Seajacks to begin with. The 504MW wind farm creates enough energy to power 530,000 homes a year and has created 100 permanent jobs, 95% of which are from the local area (please visit the SSE website for further details about the impact of this project).
Our largest vessel, Scylla, which is due for delivery in October 2015 will have a variety of larger projects available to her. Some of these will be from the round 3 wind farms which are larger and further offshore than ever. These wind farms will include heavier components which is why we have increased her size and crane capacity to 1,500 tonnes.
Seajacks are very optimistic that the offshore wind industry will continue its steady growth but obviously it is very dependent on external political and financial factors.
