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Work under way on Clyde wind farm extension24th Nov 2015
New apprenticeship positions will be made available at the 54 turbine Clyde Wind Farm extension in Scotland as engineering work on the project gathers pace.
Jones Bros Civil Engineering UK is delivering balance of plant as part of a joint venture with the project’s civil contractor Balfour Beatty on behalf of the client SSE.
Located between Biggar, Abington and Moffat, early enabling works began on site at the end of May. The main construction works, which are due to last for two years, commenced in July, including the construction of access tracks and crane pads.
During construction and operation, the Clyde extension project is expected to bring significant benefits to the South Lanarkshire, Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway regions through direct and indirect employment and skills training.
Ten labourers from the surrounding area, as well as trainee engineer Alistair Dow, have been recruited by Jones Bros to date, with plans to recruit local apprentices in the new year.
Garod Evans, project manager at Jones Bros, (pictured) said: “We will take on apprentices from the surrounding areas early next year, and will also be creating opportunities for local subcontractors to provide services such as fencing, cleaning and site security.
“Work has now begun to lay foundations for the wind farm’s turbines, with concrete pouring for the bases now under way.”
“The site has around 22 workers and 50 items of plant, including a new high-spec Simem concrete batching plant recently bought by Jones Bros.
“The plant enables concrete to be mixed on site rather than transported to the location, reducing traffic and enabling precision in the concrete mixing process.”
Investment in the area includes more than £20m of long-term support for community projects from the community benefit fund.
Clyde Extension could contribute as much as £121m to the Scottish economy during the construction phase and is expected, on average, to support around 500 jobs in Scotland through supply chain contracts.
Founded in the 1950s and employing 350 people, Jones Bros has grown significantly in the last decade. It is currently working on contracts including the construction of waste management facilities, highways, flood and marine defence and renewable energy projects around the UK.