Great Yarmouth Operations & Maintenance Hub

Project location & overview:

Key Facts:

The Great Yarmouth Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Campus is a £24.8 million innovative and strategic project which involves the redevelopment of the tip of the South Denes Peninsula in Great Yarmouth.

The project aims to provide storage, quay and pontoon infrastructure for a new offshore energy operations and maintenance campus, creating a very significant economic opportunity for the area.

Norfolk County Council appointed Greyfriars Project Management to lead the delivery of the scheme.

Client: Norfolk County Council

Staff lead: Kate Dinis

Location: Great Yarmouth, Norfolk

Sector: Local Authority

Project length: 2021 - 2024

Project cost: £24.8 million

Project value: Attracting more renewable energy companies to the area,
in turn creating 650 jobs
Operations & Maintenance Campus, Great Yarmouth
Operations & Maintenance Campus, Great Yarmouth 2

Developing the East of England’s offshore energy infrastructure

The East of England is the UK’s largest offshore wind cluster.

Great Yarmouth is already home to some of the country’s largest developers and O&M bases for their wind farms, including:

  • Equinor O&M base for Dudgeon and operations centre for Hywind, Scotland
  • Equinor O&M base for Sheringham Shoal
  • RWE O&M base for Scroby Sands

Sponsored by Norfolk County Council, Great Yarmouth Borough Council, New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) – in partnership with Peel Ports – the new O&M campus involves regenerating industrial land close to the port of Great Yarmouth to capitalise on the east coast’s now well-established offshore renewables sector and the Enterprise Zone covering sites in Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft.

Specifically designed for companies engaged in wind farm development and operations, it is intended to drive further investment into the renewable energy sector in the region.

Understanding the project and its aims

This unique project is a major development for the region.

As part of Great Yarmouth’s Town Deal and the council’s strategy for economic growth, the project is expected to provide a notable boost for the local economy, including creating 650 new jobs.

It will utilise land at the end of the South Denes peninsula, with significant investment to ensure that it is accessible and attractive for businesses and showcases Great Yarmouth’s presence within the renewable energy sector.

This includes:

  • 240m of river quay refurbishment and upgrade
  • New Pontoon designed specifically for Crew Transfer Vessels
  • Upgrading infrastructure to ensure all relevant services are available to connect to premises

Providing project management services

Greyfriars Project Management were appointed by Norfolk County Council to lead the delivery of the scheme.

Services provided include:

  • Project management as client
  • Programme management
  • Risk management
  • Governance support
  • Financial tracking and controls
  • Managing unforeseen construction challenges to ensure they are addressed promptly and effectively
  • Stakeholder engagement and liaison, including with the Local Planning Authority, Marine Management Organisation, Port Authority, utilities providers, design team, ecologists and contractors

Demolition and commencement of piling works

Initial demolition works on the South Denes Peninsula were undertaken in 2021 to prepare the site for development.

Tilbury Douglas were awarded the contract for the main construction work, with major piling works beginning in December 2023.

The main phase of construction is expected to take around 12 months.

Working towards next steps

The build of Phase 1 of the project – including the refurbishment of the quayside and the installation of the pontoon – is expected to be completed at the end of 2024.

Managing a complex project

With so many stakeholders, this is a complex project – which our expert team are highly experienced at successfully delivering.

Encompassing marine and highways design, planning application co-ordination and stakeholder management, this is an exciting project for Greyfriars to work on.

We’ve been involved in a number of key projects in these areas, including providing DCO application support for the Great Yarmouth Third River Crossing and the A46 Newark Bypass, giving us the skills and experience needed to keep this project on track and on budget.

Need project management support?

Here at Greyfriars Project Management, we have the skills and experience you need to ensure successful delivery of your project.

We work with the public and private sector, academies and charities on civil engineering, development and infrastructure projects which aim to deliver real public benefit.

Whether you need full project management or ad-hoc support at any stage, we can help.

Get in touch today to find out more.


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