Giant Gas Field Means Logistics Jobs and Materials Handling Contracts

UK – AUSTRIA – In a world where ever increasing energy costs are affecting every household in the UK developments like the Cygnus gas field are of great importance. Cygnus is the sixth largest gas field in the southern North Sea and the largest discovered within the last twenty five years in the Southern basin. In August, following a UK Government decision to allow more new large shallow water gas fields, the field operator GDF Suez signed contracts initially worth £375 million, including over £335 million destined to create jobs in the UK many in the logistics sector.

One other group benefiting tangibly from the recent developments is materials handling Liebherr-Werk Nenzing GmbH whose Austrian division has been awarded a contract to provide four type RL 2650-25 D EX Litronic® offshore cranes to GDF Suez and will manufacture the giant machines at its Sunderland facility. In total it is anticipated that in excess of £1.1 billion will end up in the hands of British suppliers as a result of the development.

The gas field is estimated to hold up to eighteen billion cubic metres of gas sited around a hundred and fifty miles off the Lincolnshire coast under about twenty three metres of water and is intended to start production some time in 2015.

Photo: A type RL 2650-25 D EX Litronic® in action.