Edinburgh based electric utility SSE plc claims welding
defects in 52 of 140 steel tube foundations for windmills in its under
construction offshore Greater Gabbard wind farm are causing a two year delay in
completion of the Fluor $1.8 billion, lump sum turnkey project. Fluor CEO David
Seaton disputes the claim. The turbines in question are located in waters up to
32 meters deep, and the tubes themselves are as large as 6.3 meters in
diameter, weighing 700 metric tons.
The Chinese fabricated steel tubes are the basis of Fluor’s
charges against the project of $343 million in 2010, and another $60 million
last year, as reported in company filings. Ownership of the project has changed
hands while under construction, with Fluor selling its interest to SSE, which
also acquired Dublin based Airtricity Holding Ltd. Airtricity had been co-owner
of the project with Fluor. Then in 2008 SSE sold half interest in the project
to Essen, Germany based RWI Innogy GmbH.
