YORK manufacturer Portastor has won a multi-million pound contract to supply blast-resistant equipment housing to a new gas plant in the North Sea.

Portastor, part of the York-headquartered Shepherd Group won the contract to manufacture and supply control rooms for the £2.5 billion Laggan-Tormore project in the Shetland Islands.

The three buildings, which each weigh at least 100 tonnes, will house the critical equipment which controls and monitors processes for the whole oil and gas plant.

They will be able to withstand the challenging environmental conditions in the Shetland Islands, as well as being blast resistant and fire-rated to protect the sensitive instrumentation inside.

The company is constructing the buildings at its 60-acre factory in Huntington before they will be shipped to Sullom Voe in the Shetland Islands to be put up on site.

Todd Altman, chief executive of Portastor, said winning the multi-million pound order was a significant coup for Portastor, which has 50 years’ experience providing specialist equipment housings to more than 40 countries.

He said: “As part of the Shepherd Group, we have invested significant resources and expertise into the development of sector-leading solutions.

"We recognise that our reputation is based not just on technical excellence but also on the skills and dedication of the many committed team members we have working together to deliver high-profile projects such as this.

“Safeguarding and tapping into the nation’s own natural resources is crucial to reduce the growing reliance on foreign oil and gas, and we’re proud to be supporting the regional economy whilst playing a part in securing the ongoing production of oil and gas in the UK.”