EB Opens New Facilities to Support the Offshore Sector
04 February 2010
Successful ventures breed more success, and the need for expansion - no meanfeat in straightened times. Tyneside offshore engineering specialist, IHC
Engineering Business (EB), has opened a new manufacturing and support facility
at Riverside Quay, Port of Tyne. It will now form the central hub of their
manufacturing activity. This new base enables the company to continue its
outstanding track record of delivering complex and custom built offshore and
subsea equipment.
"EB's existing business, as a leading supplier of offshore systems, will be
expanded to offer an increase in services to our oil and gas and other offshore
clients," explains Managing Director, Toby Bailey. "Our new facility allows us
to accommodate larger vessels than those that could take advantage of our
previous base at the Hadrian yard on the North bank of the Tyne. At Riverside
Quay we can take vessels of up to 10.5m draft. Split between three areas, we now
have some 1,300m of quayside accommodating multiple vessels and operations at
any one time."
EB's ambition is to make the Riverside Quay facility an attractive winter and
downtime base for vessels by offering a combination of cost effective berthing
charges backed up by extensive support and engineering services. A major
investment is being made to upgrade the 7484m2 of covered space by installing
hydraulic and electrical cleans rooms, overhead craneage, office facilities,
secure storage, and project offices for clients operating from the base.
Mick Beezer, EB's newly appointed Offshore Support Base Manager, explains:
"Although set up to provide standard support services such as a location for
vessel crew change outs and equipment loadouts, EB differentiates itself from
other offshore bases by the ability to support new equipment design and
modifications to vessel systems in-house. "
"Linked to this EB can provide appointed person lifts, welding inspection, hire
of certified lifting equipment, test facilities for mechanical, electrical and
hydraulic systems, as well as training for EB-provided equipment," he adds.
"Commissioning, mobilisation, demobilisation and conversion activities will all
be conducted with EB's dedicated on-site team support.
"The development of our new support base business is a further commitment to
offer our clients a full range of services from concept design right through the
operational life of equipment and vessels. The base at Riverside Quay allows us
to offer a single point of contact and management for a broad range of support
services, all at one site."
Andrew Moffat, CEO of the Port of Tyne says: "We are delighted to welcome EB to
the Port of Tyne. We believe this not only cements the position of a hugely
successful and growing business in the North East but also retains some highly
skilled jobs in the region, it also marks a milestone in the port's development
and is another example of the diversification in our business model."
