The local men looking after the UK’s offshore turbines

The local men looking after the UK’s offshore turbines

10 December 2014

A SPECIAL visitor docked at Phennick Cove marina in Ardglass last week, although the arrival of the near £2.5m vessel caused hardly a ripple among local people.

And there was more than a touch of irony about the presence of the MPI Lucinda, the vessel which ferries construction and maintenance workers to and from some of the UK’s biggest offshore wind farms.

The arrival of the 40-tonne, 19-metre shallow-draft hulled catamaran, came after the company behind plans for Northern Ireland’s first offshore wind farm off the Co. Down coast pulled out of the project, blaming the decision on red tape.

First Flight Wind — the consortium behind the proposed development — said it had made “significant progress” with the wind farm, but was unlikely to complete the project within the timescale of new UK government renewable energy rules.

The Lucinda, one of a fleet of wind farm support vessels owned by Middlesborough-based company MPI Workboats, boasts a top speed of 28 knots and plays a pivotal role in helping maintain and service various offshore wind farms and the crew on board are more than familiar with the East Down coastline.

The arrival of the vessel last week to fill up its huge 6,000 litre fuel tank was also something of a temporary homecoming for the crew which included skippers Gary Parker from Killyleagh and Ardglass duo Stephen Curran and Michael McConvey.

The trio were on their way from Grimsby to the Gwynt y Mor offshore wind farm near Liverpool Bay, which is the second largest of its kind in the world. The Liverpool site covers an area of 80 square kilometres and boasts 160 turbines.

Gary explained the MPI Lucinda, which has two 1,200 horse power engines and a Rolls Royce jet propulsion system, is a new vessel crammed full of the latest navigational, communication and health and safety systems. Capable of accommodating a crew of 12, the vessel also has an air conditioned passenger lounge.

“This is the vessel’s first time in
Ardglass and it may never be here again,” said the skipper. “We were working at a wind farm off Grimbsy and are on our way to Liverpool Bay. We have stopped in Ardglass to change crew and refuel before completing our journey.

“We arrived in Ardglass via the Caledonian Canal which runs through the heart of the Scottish Highlands and we were glad to arrive safely here as the weather conditions in the Irish Sea resulted in us taking a real battering. But this vessel is made of stern stuff.”

Gary said the MPI Lucinda’s principal role is to provide support to engineers and maintenance crews at a number of offshore wind farms dotted around the UK coast.

“We carry technicians and engineers to the turbines and collect them again when they have completed their duties. I have been with MPI for three years and love the job. There is great camaraderie with my crew mates,” he said.

Aware of First Flight Wind’s decision to abort plans for a huge wind farm off the Co. Down coast, Gary said he has seen at first hand the huge economic boost such developments can have on local communities.

“Offshore wind farms can create jobs on land and the development of an offshore wind farm in this area I believe would have provided benefits. That said, I am aware of the concerns local fishermen had about the proposal,” he continued.

Gary, who works a 20-day shift before a 10-day break kicks in, described his job as “challenging, but very enjoyable,” explaining the role provided by the MPI Lucinda is a 24-hour, 365-day a year operation.

“Offshore wind farms are being developed all over the place and can range in size from 150 feet to between 250 and 300 feet, with the latter turbines more common place in parts of Europe,” the Killyleagh man added.

Gary added: “It was good we were able to bring the Lucinda to Ardglass on our way to Liverpool to fill up and change crew. But we couldn’t stay long as the very nature of the business we are involved in means you are always busy which is what we like. The weather can present us with challenges but that’s part of the job.”