Joint venture to secure future of Machrihanish wind turbine towers producer
A joint venture between SSE (Scottish and Southern Energy plc) and Marsh Wind Technology Ltd, the UK subsidiary of Marsh Global Holdings Ltd, has been established to secure the future of Skykon wind turbine tower manufacturing and assembly plant at Machrihanish, Campbeltown, which is currently trading in administration.
The joint venture, named Wind Towers Ltd, has submitted a bid as a result of which it expects to complete the acquisition of the plant and the details should be concluded over the next few weeks. In addition to producing wind turbine towers for onshore wind farms, the construction of new facilities to allow the production of turbine towers for offshore wind farms at the site is almost complete, enabling it to participate in the next phase of offshore wind developments.
The acquisition of the plant at Machrihanish would follow:
•the February 2011 formation by SSE of an alliance of companies, including Siemens, to collaborate on its offshore wind programme, with the aim of securing substantial reductions in the cost of delivered power;
• the July 2010 strategic agreement between SSE and Mitsubishi to co-operate on low carbon energy developments; and
• the April 2010 acquisition by SSE of a 15% stake in Burntisland Fabrications Ltd, the offshore energy structure fabricator.
SSE is the UK’s largest generator of electricity from renewable sources. Marsh Wind Technology is a UK subsidiary of Marsh Global Holdings Ltd. which has substantial experience in manufacturing operations.
