With increasing global focus on renewable and green energy, Quartzelec, the independent international electrical engineering group, is delighted to have secured another sizeable and significant contract to provide maintenance services to several wind farms in Scotland.
Already well-respected within the Aberdeen oil and gas industry plus other mining, infrastructure and manufacturing operations in Scotland, this new three year contract for DNV GL was secured through Quartzelec’s Hamilton office and includes High Voltage (33kV) switching, substation inspection and testing plus switchgear maintenance.
“Diversification into future growth markets is imperative if we are to achieve our ambitious expansion plans,” explained Stephen Morrison, general manager for Quartzelec’s Hamilton office. “Renewable energy is an important, demanding and highly competitive sector so this initial three year contract is significant as it provides us a great opportunity to gain further traction. We have had to invest in specialist training for our team of highly experienced High Voltage electrical engineers as this contract requires climbing towers and operating safely at height. Climbing equipment has now been added to their already comprehensive toolboxes and we’ve also implemented a vehicle upgrade as a 4×4 is invaluable when accessing some exceptionally beautiful but at times quite inaccessible areas.”
The Hamilton operation already provides maintenance and support services to a number of small to medium scale renewables projects including grid connection to turbines and hydro schemes; so this new contract was a natural progression of its services. In addition, Quartzelec’s Wrexham facility also delivers a number of other similar wind farm related HV maintenance contracts including one held since 2006 with Gamesa for the Tir Mostyn Wind Farm; another for a 500KVA installation with Seaforth Wind Farm; plus a wind prospect and operations contract located at the Port of Liverpool Docks.
Quartzelec was invited to tender for the latest new contract award based on an independent recommendation for its work in an allied sector; and particularly for its excellent reputation in delivering HV maintenance services and meeting client requirements. “We were totally up front and honest when tendering for this new contract and explained that we’d need to invest in the specialist training and bring in additional equipment to meet requirement,” concluded Stephen Morrison. “We also said that the majority of our Senior Authorised Personnel were already assigned to existing contracts – but that our dedicated team would deliver against agreed objectives; and because we met all the other key technical requirements, we were awarded the contract. We’ve now got the perfect opportunity to prove that we are up to the challenge and eagerly look to secure and cost effectively deliver additional contracts in this sector.”
Over recent years Quartzelec has invested heavily in training its people; ensured health & safety standards are maintained; and developed several new regional maintenance and operational offices to help grow its business. A new multi-million pound workshop facility in Rugby, that also doubles as a corporate HQ was also opened.
A number of significant £1m+ contracts have also been secured by Quartzelec’s rapidly expanding electrical contracting business over the last 12-months; while its maintenance business for rotating machines has secured several prestigious, mission critical contracts in the maritime, mining, and manufacturing sectors.
Quartzelec have an annual turnover in excess of £60m and a heritage that stretches back more than 80 years. Their electrical contracting business currently operates and maintains more than 4000 HV customer assets at over 450 customer sites across the UK plus it has invested significantly in electrical Health and Safety procedures to ensure a safe environment for both employees and customers. Quartzelec also has the ability to design, manufacture, repair, monitor, refurbish and rewind large, project critical motors and generators, relying on its extensive library of design drawings and a full design department. It also has the ability to work on any OEM-manufactured machine and/or equipment, including those built by its previous heritage companies such as GEC Machines, GEC Alsthom Large Machines, ALSTOM and Cegelec.
