UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced today that CTruk has been selected to receive funding through Round 6 of the UK Government’s Regional Growth Fund. CTruk said that this advances its plans to build larger vessels for offshore wind and diversify for sustainable growth.
The £1 million RGF grant will catalyse private investment of around £7.3 million for the construction of an Advanced Composite Technology Centre, incorporating a training facility, on the River Colne in East Colchester. It is expected that the project will create over 120 new jobs over the next few years, including the provision of training skills for 15 new apprentices.
The centre will enable CTruk to build larger workboats designed to meet the complex demands of wind farms further offshore, educate the next generation of modern boat-builders and facilitate diversification into other commercial marine sectors (the company recently announced a hydrographic survey vessel order from the Port of London Authority).
CTruk also plans to use its composite expertise for non-marine manufacturing at the centre in the longer term future.
Work on the new building is planned to start in the spring.
Image: CTruk