UK shipbuilder Alicat Workboats will supply two offshore wind workboats to Turkey after securing a £2m order with support from the UK Export Finance agency (UKEF).
The boats will be built at the company’s facility in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk before being sent to Turkey for use on installation and maintenance work for a wind farm.
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The company took on the contracts after securing a finance package provided by Virgin Money and backed by a UKEF guarantee, allowing it to take on the work and support its 35-strong workforce.
Simon Coote, general manager of Alicat Workboats, highlighted the support of the two organisations as a crucial part of finalising the contracts.
He said: “This in turn allowed Alicat to secure the build of two new vessels for a major shipbuilder in Turkey and provide 12 months of secured work in our Yard in Great Yarmouth, allowing us to maintain local employment and training opportunities for the next generation of boat builders.”
The news comes during a period of instability for the UK’s shipbuilding sector, with major shipbuilder Harland & Wolff recently just avoiding collapse with the issuing of a $25m loan via the London Stock Exchange.
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By GlobalDataThe UK government said Alicat’s contract win highlighted the country’s success in the sector and described it as a “sign of the international demand for British renewables expertise in the marine sector”.
While the UKEF’s loan is a separate arrangement, the UK government has also previously supported small domestic shipbuilders through its £4bn National Shipbuilding Strategy, where it acted as a guarantor for lenders to allow maritime companies to secure loans financing new UK-built ships.
The company is described as a “bespoke marine and engineering services” provider and has previously built workboat fleets for UK offshore vessel operators such as Dalby Offshore.
