Port leads charge in renewables sector with new partnership
The Port of Cromarty Firth is teaming up with French firm Ideol
A partnership between French-firm Ideol and the Port of Cromarty Firth could bring new employment in the renewables sector to the Highlands.
The Port will work alongside the firm who are specialists in making floating foundations for offshore wind farms.
The agreement would see Ideol and any other associated partners use the port's land and berthing facilities to develop a manufacturing yard for upcoming floating wind tenders.
It's thought that with this news and future developments it could bring 500 jobs and bring new opportunities for any local suppliers too.
Joanne Allday, strategic business development manager at the Port, said; "It's further evidence that we have excellent facilities within the Cromarty Firth and the surrounding region"
"Obviously we have a very strong supply chain, used to dealing with oil and gas over the last 40-years, but we also have a good track-record in offshore wind"
"It terms of the jobs, there will be the production of the floating substructure - or base of the turbines - while there will also be employment in associated works, such as fabrication of steel components, the work on the moorings, the blades, the cells, how they are installed. There will be logistics. There's quite a lot of skilled and semi-skilled jobs in the concrete fabrication itself"
"More of this manufacturing can be done in the UK and we can do this competitively against other countries"
"This is attracting new manufacturing to the UK and the plans are bringing new substructure manufacturing, while complimenting the advanced manufacturing plant at the Nigg Energy Park"
The Global Energy Group are to build the UK's largest offshore wind fabrication facility, with it aiming to develop their Nigg facility at the entrance to the Firth.