DONG Energy has announced plans for a multi-million pound investment to create the UK’s largest offshore wind maintenance hub.

The coastal Grimsby facility will initially support DONG’s Westermost Rough, Race Bank and Hornsea Project One wind farms but will eventually have the capacity to support wind farms all along the east coast.

The hub will send out high-tech Service Operational Vessels (SOVs), specialised ships capable of accommodating up to 60 crew and technicians over long periods at sea.

They will spend up to 28 consecutive days stationed at wind farms, where they will service six to eight wind turbines each day.

Brent Cheshire, DONG Energy’s UK Country Chairman, said: “This new operational hub in Grimsby will be a game changing industry first, raising the bar for the way we serve offshore wind farms.

“It will generate direct and indirect job opportunities in the Humber region, as well as opportunities for the local supply chain. It represents a massive vote of confidence to the UK offshore wind industry and confirms our commitment to the Humber region where by 2019 we expect to have invested around £6 billion.”