Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) will invest GBP 24.26 million (around EUR 28.81 million) in an upgrade at Kishorn Port that will enable the manufacture of floating wind foundations at the Scottish port.
“With the quarry on site, Kishorn Port is ideally suited to concrete manufacturing of floating offshore wind sub-structures, with local content, laydown, marshalling, and long-term integration and assembly possible at the port as part of the wider project in the long-term” , said Alasdair Ferguson , Kishorn Port Limited (KPL) Director.
The investment is part of the GBP 500 million (around EUR 594 million) that the Scottish government is investing over five years to develop the country’s ports and offshore wind supply chain.
“This is one of the most significant public investments in our port infrastructure in decades. It is crucial to ensuring Kishorn Port and the communities it supports can reap the benefits of the global renewables market” , said Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes .
“It is a clear signal from the Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise that will give investors the confidence to invest millions more in the area’s wider infrastructure, economy and people.”
According to HIE, Kishorn Port houses one of the largest openings of any dry dock facility in Europe, making it a unique and valuable asset.
The port’s dry dock was utilised for the construction of the 48 MW Kincardine floating wind farm.
The new upgrade will include an expanded dry dock and land reclamation, with the facilities forecast to attract projects with the potential to support up to 1,500 jobs once the port is fully developed.
“Offshore wind presents a massive opportunity for the Highlands and Islands and Kishorn is one of several ports that are at the heart of this. The facility has provided skilled jobs in a rural area for many decades and this is likely to grow significantly, which is vital to community resilience in a priority west coast location”, said Stuart Black , HIE chief executive. “The proposed dry dock expansion and land reclamation will greatly enhance the port’s capacity to support offshore wind and the contribution it makes to Scotland’s economy.”