AN electrical engineer with extensive experience on some of the world's biggest offshore wind turbine projects has joined Daresbury-based Operational Group.

Stephen Maddock has worked on major offshore wind turbine projects in the Irish Sea and the North Sea with UK, German and Danish companies.

Keen to develop his career further, he recently joined Operational Group at Daresbury Sci-Tech Park near Runcorn.

He said: "Operational works with clients across a variety of industries, which is fascinating. Each factory or industrial site has different procedures, systems and products.

"It's a business that's really going places.

"I still do some travelling with Operational Group, which I enjoy, and we have offices across Europe.

"However, I'm also enjoying being home in the UK more often than I used to be."

He studied electrical and electronic systems at Liverpool John Moores University while working part-time in administration for P&O Ferries.

After university, he joined Merseyside-based Offshore Painting Services and worked on offshore wind turbine electrical and maintenance projects.

The role took him to Gwynt Y Mor, which is the fifth-largest operating offshore windfarm in the world with 160 turbines measuring 150 metres in tip-height above the sea.

Other projects Stephen has been involved in are Burbo Bank windfarm in Liverpool Bay, Gwynt Y Mor off the north Wales coast.

His final offshore project was the Borkum Riffgrund turbine development, 55 miles off the coast of Germany.The development included MHI vestas and Danish power company Orsted.

Stephen said: "During that project, I stayed on a hotel ship with a team of 70 technicians.

"We worked day or night shifts for 14 days and then had 14 days off. I worked with German and Danish engineers.

"The European wind industry includes many German and Dutch engineering businesses and I enjoyed meeting engineers and clients from different countries."

Stephen is upgrading his professional accreditation and skills with IGAS and ACS gas engineering training.

Away from work, he is enjoying life as a dad. He has a two-year-old son, Jenson, and has given young Jenson his very-first Liverpool FC kit.

Stephen said: "I’m a big Liverpool fan and one of my hero players is Ian Rush.

"When I was a boy, I used to watch Ian Rush on TV scoring loads of goals.

"I also play five-a-side football at the Playfootball.com pitches in Thornton."