One of Norfolk's biggest companies has secured a contract to build the operations hub for a giant wind farm off the East Anglian coast.

RG Carter has won the tender to construct the operations and maintenance base at Great Yarmouth Port for the Dudgeon offshore wind farm.

As part of the deal, the construction company will transform a warehouse at Berth 9 into a two-storey building, housing offices, a logistics store and a 24-hour control centre. It will also build a new car park and security fence.

Work has already started on the project and is set to be finished by the middle of next year.

Rune Rønvik, the Dudgeon operations manager, said: 'Commencing building work on Dudgeon's new O&M base is a significant milestone for the project as we continue our preparations for the wind farm's operational phase. We are happy to have awarded this important contract to RG Carter and look forward to further establishing ourselves as an integral part of the local business community.'

The Dudgeon wind farm will be built 20 miles off the coast of Cromer and operated by Norwegian energy companies Statoil and Statkraft.

According to the latest results from the EDP Top100 survey, Drayton-based RG Carter recorded sales of £261.3m, with profits of £5.1m. It employs more than 1,000 people.