– New operations base marks latest step in two-site investment supporting offshore wind expansion –
North Star, the UK’s leading fully integrated offshore infrastructure service provider, has invested in a new operational base in Lowestoft, relocating its team to the OrbisEnergy Centre as part of its strategy to scale for its next phase of growth in offshore wind.
The move follows the establishment of the company’s larger headquarters at Prime Four Business Park in Aberdeen last year and reflects the pace at which North Star has expanded. The firm acquired four service operation vessels (SOVS) in April this year, all under charter with wind developers in Europe, and taking its SOV fleet total to 14, including two in build. It also secured approximately 50 years’ combined contract duration across its 37-strong emergency response and rescue vessel (ERRV) fleet with UK North Sea operators.
The OrbisEnergy Centre sits at Ness Point, on Wilde Street on the seafront, and a short walk from the new Lowestoft Eastern Energy Facility (LEEF), which completed last year and was purpose-built to support both operations and maintenance activities, as well as the construction of new offshore wind turbines in the North Sea. The new office will provide North Star’s local onshore team of 18 with a modern and more open-plan working environment designed for better workflow and smoother cross-department collaboration. With its third UK base in Newcastle, the Lowestoft relocation cements a network of strategically positioned facilities and in-house maintenance teams along the UK’s north east coastline, in addition to its Hamburg office in Germany.
Gitte Gard Talmo, CEO at North Star said:
“Lowestoft has long been central to supporting our North Sea ERRV operations and is increasingly playing a greater role in our offshore wind business too. This move demonstrates how seriously we take our long-term commitment to the town and to the people who work here. Having the right infrastructure in the right places with the best talent in-house is essential to delivering for our clients and supporting our continued growth across the UK and Europe.”
Katie Willis, Tendering Associate at North Star, added:
“This investment marks a real milestone for our Lowestoft team. The new location and more modern office space gives us a strong working environment to welcome and collaborate closely with our clients and technology partners, while giving us the room we need as our team and fleet continue to grow. I’d like to thank everyone involved in making this relocation happen and look forward to seeing the team settle in and enjoy their new base.”
Since entering the renewables market in 2021, the company has invested over £750 million into its SOV fleet and has fast become the world’s largest infrastructure by fleet size and charter backlog.
With more than 1,700 seafarers and onshore personnel across the business, North Star is also one of the UK’s largest employers of offshore cadets, investing around £1 million annually since 1996 to train the next generation of deck and engineering professionals.