The Port of Cromarty Firth has signed a contract with Moray Offshore Windfarm (East) Ltd, the developer of a 950MW offshore wind farm in the Outer Moray Firth, which will use the port as an intermediate one during the project construction.
Under the 18-month contract, worth some GBP 10 million, the Port of Cromarty Firth will provide for storage of wind turbine components, including towers, blades and nacelles, pre-assembly facilities and site office facilities.
“The selection of an intermediate port from which the project will be constructed is a major milestone in terms of project delivery, and we are delighted to have chosen a port which is not only in Scotland, but also in the Moray Firth, local to the windfarm,” said Oscar Diaz , Project Director, Moray East. “This will be hub of the project during construction.”
The Moray East offshore wind farm will comprise 100 MHI Vestas 9.5MW wind turbines, installed some 22km off the coast of Scotland. The project is scheduled for commissioning in 2022.
“As a Trust Port, the Port of Cromarty Firth have been able to deliver much more than competitive prices; they are well established with strong local relationships. We look forward to working together to provide an excellent opportunity for the local economy to take advantage of the markets created by the project,” Diaz said.
Bob Buskie , Chief Executive of Port of Cromarty Firth added: “This is a major success for Scotland and the Highlands in particular. We have demonstrated once again that we can successfully compete with international competition and attract these major infrastructure projects to our area.”
“The project will support Scottish government in meeting their ambitious renewable energy targets and our partners at Moray East are keen to develop and train the local workforce; building skills and knowledge that can be exported in the future. The Port’s team worked for over two years to secure this contract for the benefit of the local area. It will attract jobs and investment for the coming years; offering countless opportunities to local people and businesses.”
Moray Offshore Windfarm (East) Limited is owned by EDP Renováveis (43.3%), along with Diamond Generating Europe (33.4%) and ENGIE (23.3%).