UK contractor Graham has begun construction work on the South Bank Quay on the banks of the River Tees in Northern England as part of a project to develop the area as a future offshore wind hub.
The 1.2-kilometre-long quay will support GE Renewable Energy's wind turbine blade facility and will be used in the loading out and shipping of the 107-metre-long blades for the Dogger Bank offshore wind farm off the UK coast.
The quay will form part of a wider advanced manufacturing and industrial space set to be built on 182 hectares of land next to the wharf.
The work will include ripping out the dilapidated concrete and wooden jetties of the former heavy fuel oil farm and yarmac. Two million tonnes of earth will be excavated to create a deep-water berthing facility.
A total of 300 tubular piles will be pushed into the riverbank to create a six-hectare hardstanding and logistical space.