Dalby gears up for wind farm growth with bigger fleet

Dalby Offshore Renewables, is adding a 20-metre Alicat Workboat to its fleet, after gaining a £1.36m asset finance facility from Santander Corporate & Commercial.

The purchase of the vessel, ‘Dalby Trent’, will create 10 jobs and help Dalby, which is based in Beverley, East Yorkshire, to support offshore wind farms.

Dalby Offshore Services was incorporated in the UK in August 2007. The business initially focused on the management of anchor handling tug and supply vessels, which operated in the global oil and gas market for blue chip oil companies. The business plans to increase its presence in the offshore sectors.

Managing director Stuart McNiven recently negotiated a multi-million dollar contract to form part of the international team involved in raising the Costa Concordia, which sank off the Italian coast last year, with the loss of 32 lives.

Dalby has a team of 80 personnel involved and is providing accommodation and catering services to a large multinational workforce. Mr McNiven recently took part in the Santander Breakthrough international trade mission to Brazil.

He said: “I’m thrilled to be adding a new vessel to our fleet.

“I’m keen to focus our growth plans on the renewable energy sector and in particular, wind farms. We know that three of the largest wind farms in the North Sea will be established off the Humber Estuary and east coast of England, so my plan is to be well equipped to meet that demand when it comes.”