The onshore sector for offshore energy is a mammoth industry itself. Add Sizewell C into the mix and you start to see that while the East of England is widely associated with its offshore wind developments, a huge amount of energy-related work is carried out onshore.

We’re talking everything from construction for substations, creating new roads, temporary compounds and haul roads, to cable routes, ports, operations and maintenance facilities, overcoming environmental and ecological challenges, removing vegetation and much more.

Here we meet three businesses that are capitalising on their expertise to make the most of onshore opportunities as the energy industry expands...

Much is spoken about bringing transferable skills into the energy industry, seamlessly shifting expertise, experience and reputation from other sectors. This is increasingly the case in designing and building the onshore infrastructure needed to carry and convert the electricity generated offshore.

With 17 years’ civil engineering excellence under its belt, Pro-Rail Services spotted the huge potential in renewable energy infrastructure projects in the East of England and set up a new division, Nu-Gen Energy Services.

With a 100% safety record and proven expertise in the rail industry, the business believed it would be profitable strategy to position itself to expand and play a part in the energy transition.

Eamonn Maloney, joint managing director of Pro-Rail (Image: PRO-RAI)

“We are working in the region already – from London Liverpool Street to The Wash – with a workforce with transferable skills ready for the scale of work in the renewable energy sector,” said Eamonn Maloney, joint managing director of the family-owned business.

“Nu-Gen isn’t just a rebrand, it is a targeted specialist division, led by Max Crompton, with all of the Pro-Rail DNA making us immediately ready to work in energy.”

Suffolk was a strategic choice for Nu-Gen’s base because the East of England is on the frontline of net zero infrastructure, where its multi-disciplinary civil teams, access and logistics expertise fit perfectly.

“Rail HSE standards are incredibly high – like the energy industry standards – and we can bring these high standards in a seamless shift into energy,” said Eamonn. Its local workforce is currently working on the Sizewell C........

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