#newships – Arklow Marine Services, the shipbuilding yard owned and managed by the Tyrrell family, is celebrating the successful completion of a €2.3m order with the launch of a vessel for use in the development of UK offshore wind farms. The Gardian 18, is the third such vessel which the Arklow business has delivered to Alicat a subsidiary of UK offshore wind specialists Gardline , in the last three years.
The Gardian 18 can carry 12 personnel & 2 crew and is fitted with twin MAN main engines each developing 1000 BHP and is coupled to Rolls Royce water jets that will give the vessel a sprint speed of 30 knots and a service speed 25 knots. Gardian 18 has a range of 800 nautical miles.
Arklow Marine Services carries on the proud tradition of shipbuilding in Arklow having commenced trading in 1864 and celebrates 150 years in existence next year in 2014. The Tyrrell name remains synonymous with shipbuilding in Arklow and today the company is led by Directors Billy – Naval Architect & John – Marine Engineer. The company currently employs 30 local people and supports employment with other contractors in the region.
The Gardian 18 was built on-schedule and on-budget over a 30 week period. Among the skills involved in the construction were design and draftsmanship, machining, aluminium fabrication, welding, hydraulic engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering pipe fitting, engine alignment, plumbing, glazing, carpentry, painting, sign writing and cranage. The management of the company would like to acknowledge and thank their excellent workforce whose expertise and strong work ethic which allows them to deliver quality vessels on time every time.
Arklow Marine Services Director Billy Tyrell spoke of the potential for the company to benefit from the development of renewables on both sides of the Irish Sea;
"Over the last number of years Arklow Marine Services has developed a reputation for delivering high performance vessels for the renewable industry. Offshore wind is a rapidly growing sector in the UK and we are well positioned to take advantage of that market. Hopefully, we will see similar development in Irish offshore projects. This can deliver jobs for coastal towns like Arklow and businesses like Arklow Marine Services. We are delighted to continue our partnership with Gardline and look forward to working more closely with them as their business grows."
The United Kingdom is in the process of developing 33 GW of offshore wind energy over the next decade. That is an amount seven times the total electricity demand in Ireland. There is a further 2.5 GW of offshore wind in development on the Irish Side of the Irish Sea. The National Offshore Wind Association has estimated that a supply chain of up to €60bn exists in the Irish Sea Zone.
Brian Britton of the National Offshore Wind Association welcomed this latest contract win for Arklow Marine Services;
Arklow Marine Services is an example of how quality Irish companies can compete for supply chain opportunities that offshore wind development presents. They have already won a significant position in the UK market. We believe that with the development of Irish projects, companies like Arklow Marine Services will generate a significant employment boost for the Irish economy.
Gardline specialise in supporting the deployment, operation and maintenance of offshore wind farms. The Gardian 18 will enter service in late November. This vessel will principally be used to deliver service personnel to the offshore wind farms. The nature and design of offshore turbines necessitates vessels of high specification and unique design suitable for servicing them.
Gardline Managing Director, Steve Thacker explained the reason for partnering with Arklow Marine;
We are delighted to partner once more with Arklow Marine Services for the development of another bespoke vessel for our fleet. We operate in the toughest of conditions. Our customers demand reliability from us and we require vessels which deliver that and which meet the highest standards of safety. The Gardian 18 is the latest in a series of vessels from Arklow for Alicat and is currently for sale, which is an advantage of not having to fund the vessel whilst under construction and is ready to go straight to work
