Major piling works have commenced for the new £24.8m ($31.39m) operations and maintenance offshore energy campus in Great Yarmouth, England, UK.

UK-based construction company Tilbury Douglas was granted the main construction contract earlier this year to build this campus, but ground conditions at the site have required additional surveys and preliminary work to be finished before all planning conditions can be met.

The UK government's Department for Levelling Up, Homes and Communities provided £3.4m in County Deal funding for the project to further develop the site for occupancy.

Norfolk County Council leader and councillor Kay Mason Billig said: “By preparing the site for further development and making it ‘tenant ready’ which this additional funding will enable, we hope to harness the full potential of both the site and our new river crossing as quickly as possible.

“This will stimulate much-needed housing and employment growth across the region whilst supporting our environmental goals through investment in green energy and help safeguard the UK against recent energy price rises seen in global markets through increased domestic production.”

Norfolk County Council commissioned this project, which is a partnership with Great Yarmouth Borough Council and the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

Based in the South Denes peninsula, close to Herring Bridge, this campus is set to generate hundreds of jobs, providing a major boost to the economy.

The main construction phase is expected to last a year.

The project will see 190m of river quay being upgraded, along with the development of new vessel pontoons, as well as the delivery of an updated road layout and related infrastructure so that the land is optimised for future development.

For the project, New Anglia LEP received funding of £6m from the government’s Getting Building Fund.

Seeking to utilise land that is in the ownership of the borough council, the project aims to attract investment from companies involved in offshore wind farm development and maintenance over the coming 25 years.