Belfast Harbour Energy Hub

Some good news for the construction industry here could be on the way after Belfast Harbour and Danish firm, DONG Energy, one of the leading energy groups in Northern Europe, signed a letter of intent for an agreement which could make Belfast one of the UK’s leading renewable energy hubs.

DONG Energy is progressing a number of offshore wind farm projects in the Irish Sea and its      intention is to use Belfast Harbour as a base for their construction and operation.The letter of intent was announced at a meeting in Belfast Harbour Office attended by representative from the Northern Ireland Executive, Peter Gedbjerg, Vice President and UK Country Manager of DONG Energy, and Len O’Hagan, Belfast Harbour’s Chairman.

As part of the proposal Belfast Harbour is to fund and build a new £40m, 450m quay and 50-acre logistics space, roughly twice the size of Belfast’s Botanic Gardens, on the County Down side of the Harbour.

The project would create up to 300 full time jobs and 150 construction posts. If a final agreement is signed, DONG Energy will use the facility to pre-assemble both the turbines and their foundations. The scheme represents one of the Harbour’s largest ever capital investment projects.