A HIGHLAND port will receive more than £24 million in funding to expand its dock and could create up to 1500 jobs.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has announced it will invest £24.2m at Kishorn Port, west Highlands, with plans to expand its dry dock and develop land so that floating offshore wind foundations can be manufactured at the site.
The expanded facilities could attract projects with the potential to create up to 1500 jobs once the port is fully developed, HES has said.
Kishorn was used in the 1970s for the construction of the Ninian Central oil production platform, which at the time was the world's largest floating concrete structure and has one of the largest openings of any dry dock facility in Europe.
The investment forms part of the Scottish Government’s commitment of up to £500m over five years to develop ports and offshore wind energy supply chain.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes (below) said the investment is a “clear signal” from the Scottish Government which will help boost confidence in potential investors.
She said: “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.
“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.”
HEI said Kishorn Port will play a crucial role in supporting current offshore wind developments and is “well positioned” to capitalise on future opportunities extending beyond Scotland.
Stuart Black, HIE chief executive, said the proposed dry dock expansion and land reclamation will greatly enhance the port’s ability to support offshore wind projects.
He said: “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.
“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. I’m delighted that we’ve been able to secure this significant additional funding for the region and look forward to continuing to work with Kishorn Port Ltd as the project develops.”
Kishorn Port Limited director, Alasdair Ferguson, said with a quarry on site at the port it is well situated to make floating offshore wind sub-structures.
He said: “This is a significant milestone in the continuing development of Kishorn Port. The port expansion will provide the catalyst for the support and creation of jobs within Wester Ross and the wider Highlands, benefiting communities across the area. We’re grateful to Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Scottish Government for their support.
“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.”
