Osprey Group – Clarke Willmott helping to lighten the load
Osprey is an independent British company based in Portishead and Avonmouth with over 25 years of experience transporting some of the world’s heaviest assets and abnormal loads both in the UK and internationally.
Since 2013, Osprey has used its local knowledge and industry expertise to support the development of Hinkley Point C (HPC), working with principal contractors to deliver project critical items and provide value-driven operational support. Creating a dedicated HPC Terminal, they have transported items by land, sea and air, providing the ship to shore interface for vessel agency, cargo handling and coordination of onward movement for EDF managed facilities.
Some of the earliest essential assets delivered included HPC’s tunnel boring machine (TBM), while Osprey also facilitated construction of the site’s bespoke jetty and established a Muster Port facility alongside key stakeholder The Bristol Port Company. The team moved a 200-tonne luffing gantry to the installation vessel, to position the heaviest jetty item. More recently, in 2019, Osprey moved the massive TBM components to site, another example of teamwork and collaboration with a wide range of stakeholders including Balfour Beatty.
As the build moved towards the next major phase, EDF identified the requirement for a centralised logistics and management solution to deliver time critical, complex and oversized equipment including turbines, nuclear reactors and generators. Through an international tender process, Osprey won the prestigious, multi-million-pound contract through their innovation-led approach.
John O’Connor, Commercial Director for Osprey and HPC Lead, said: “Completing the first deliveries for HPC in 2013 was a significant milestone for us. The whole project is a showcase of our expertise. Over the last seven years we have been on an incredible journey and we are delighted to have won the contract working directly with EDF Energy to provide future logistical support for the HPC project. Specialist logistics need strong and collaborative relationships with multiple stakeholders who embrace the values of the project, end-to-end. I must thank all our partners in helping us throughout including Clarke Willmott who have provided timely commercial and professional legal advice on the NEC3 contracts to ensure we meet the high expectations of the contract. Our partnership with Clarke Willmott has extended beyond HPC providing first-class advice to other areas of our business.”
Our team said “It was clear from our first meeting that the team at Osprey were committed to providing a quality service. Working as trusted partners Osprey and Clarke Willmott have formed a close bond. I am confident they will provide an exceptional service for the HPC project in the months and years to come. We are proud to have supported another principal contractor helping to build HPC and look forward to developing our relationship with Osprey over the coming years as the company grows.”
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