Former BiFab yard in Burntisland secures first tenant

The former BiFab fabrication yard at Burntisland in Fife has sprung back to life after owners Forth Ports secured its first tenant.

Aberdeen-based dive systems specialist Orca Oceanic Systems has set up a new operations facility at the site following a six-figure contract win.

The yard has lain empty since Bifab went into administration last year.

In February, BiFab's sites at Methil in Fife and Arnish on Lewis were taken on by London-based firm InfraStrata.

The Burntisland yard was not included in the deal.

Earlier this month it emerged that the Methil and Arnish yards will be used to fabricate platforms for wind turbines to be installed off the Fife coast.

The move by Orca comes after the firm secured a "significant" contract to provide dive systems support and engineering services for Aberdeen-based decommissioning company Well-Safe Solutions.

Well-Safe specialises in the decommissioning of underwater wells.

Orca managing director Mike Masson said: "We are delighted to finally be in our new Burntisland facility.

"The ex-BiFab location, its facilities and the surrounding area's engineering capabilities makes the location uniquely suited to execute our current and future projects and contracts."

Orca has already begun work at the new facility on Well-Safe's saturation dive system, which arrived from Singapore two weeks ago.

The system will undergo a modification, refurbishment and commissioning scope before being installed on the Well-Safe Guardian, an offshore rig used for well-plugging.

Orca said it was on track to treble its workforce of full-time staff and contractors from 20 to about 60 in the coming months.

Derek Knox, senior port Manager at Forth Ports, said: "We welcome the team from Orca Oceanic Systems to Burntisland and we look forward to supporting them as they develop their operations facility at the port."