A £12m contract has been awarded to a Fife based firm to build substations for a major wind farm project off the north Wales coast.

In a project that will safeguard 390 jobs, Burntisland Fabrications Limited (BiFab) has signed the contract with RWEnpower renewables for its £2bn Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm.

A total of 160 wind turbines will be situated 10 miles off the coast near Colwyn Bay and Llandudno.

Northern Ireland shipyard Harland & Wolff has been appointed by the project's electrical systems contractor Siemens to work alongside BiFab to design and manufacture the two substations.

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John Robertson, BiFab Managing Director, said:"BiFab will subcontract the design work to ODE London. The jacket structures that support the offshore substations will be fabricated at the BiFab Methil facility, securing employment for 350 staff, while the foundation piles that secure the jackets to the seabed will be manufactured by the BiFab Arnish facility at Stornoway, Isle of Lewis," he said.

"This will allow for the development of the facility of a pile manufacturing plant and will safeguard an additional 40 jobs."

Trevor McCormick, H&W Project Manager, said: "This is a substantial project that will be the focus of our attention over the next two years. The project was secured due to a number of factors including the commitment demonstrated by all areas of the company during the tendering phase; we fully intend carrying this enthusiasm and dedication through to completion."

The contract is due for completion in March 2012.

(GK)