New Offshore Engineering Facility Gains £2.5M Investment

Workshop positions PD&MS Energy and Harlen for future growth

International engineering company PD&MS Energy and specialist fabrication and engineering firm Harlen have committed £2.5million of investment towards a new state of the art rig repair and subsea fabrication facility in one of Scotland’s premier ports.

The 38,750sq ft facility on Princess Alexandra Wharf at Port of Dundee is expected to house up to 50 full time personnel - rising to upwards of 260 including contractors during specific projects - and manage offshore asset service works in excess of £8million in its first financial year.

The investment allows PD&MS, world renowned for its project management and offshore engineering knowledge to provide a full concept to completion service with the support of leading fabrication and engineering company Harlen, who will deliver fabrication services from the new facility.

Previously based in neighboring Prince Charles Wharf on a short-term lease, the new, larger facility is optimized for rig repair and upgrades, vessel repair and mobilizations, large fabrications and general work across other energy sectors. An initial £1million investment has been made in the workshop with a further £1.5million expected over the next three years.

The investment marks both firms’ long-term commitment to the local economy and the North Sea oil and gas sector.

Dave MacKay, executive chairman of PD&MS Energy, said, “The buoyant offshore market and our extremely robust order book have given us the confidence to invest significantly in these new premises as well as expanding our offering in the growing decommissioning sector. This new workshop offers more space to house our growing workforce and improved infrastructure, allowing us to gear up for further new business going forward.”

PD&MS is also looking to secure new office space in Aberdeen to house up to 400 personnel as part of its continued growth plans.

Bruce Gill, managing director of Harlen, said, “This facility increases not just our physical capacity and capability in supporting PD&MS in the rig repair market, its quayside location will allow Harlen to extend its offerings in subsea equipment, topside module, accommodation modules and large-scale fabrication sectors. There are only a handful of companies in Scotland that can fabricate such significant pieces of offshore equipment and this investment places Harlen among the top players.”

Commenting on the investment, Matt North, Port Manager at The Port of Dundee said, “We are delighted that both PD&MS and Harlen are investing at the Port of Dundee. Dundee is quickly becoming known as the leading port in Scotland which provides a comprehensive and experienced supply chain to support all North Sea vessel calls for maintenance, repair and decommissioning. We will continue to work with both companies to attract further business to the Port and ultimately to secure further jobs for the city.”