© Supplied by Big Partnership Lewis McIntyre, Managing Director – Port Services, Peel Ports Group, explains why developments at Hunterston PARC are so exciting.
Anyone driving along the Ayrshire coastline could easily miss one of the UK’s best-kept secrets – at least when it comes to exciting strategic development opportunities for the UK energy transition.
The former coal terminal at Hunterston, despite being well-connected by road and rail, is really only visible from the sea and sky. And yet this 350-acre site is perfectly poised to significantly accelerate the pace of offshore wind in the Irish Sea.
With its exceptional deep-water access, Hunterston combines critical infrastructure with immediate build opportunities. As reported in Energy Voice (May 29 2025), the site has just attracted interest from Statkraft, which has taken an option to construct a hydrogen production facility.
We have been granted planning permission and secured all the necessary marine consents for our £150m redevelopment for the site’s marine yard, allowing us to deliver major infrastructure needed to support renewables projects. All it needs now is an offshore wind partner to help the UK unlock the full potential of renewables along the country’s west coast and in the Irish and Celtic seas.
In fact, there may be no other site capable of providing the unique combination of deep-water access, inland connectivity and extensive lay-down of approximately 90 acres, anywhere else on that side of the country. Through our redevelopment, we are infilling the existing dry-dock basin and constructing a new quay wall, of up to 450 metres, delivering exactly the kind of marine infrastructure essential for gigawatt-scale offshore energy projects.
Several projects in pipeline
And developers who choose Hunterston will be in good company. There are already several renewables projects at advanced stages, including some with planning permission granted, with the Statkraft news being just the latest in a series of initial commitments.
The first option secured for the site was XLCC’s UK-first undersea energy cable factory. And Highview Power recently announced it is to construct the world’s largest Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) facility at Hunterston. The technology has the potential to transform the UK energy sector, with its ability to capture and release excess energy better than battery equivalents.
And that’s just the beginning.
Hunterston will also host a major onshore aquaculture facility for leading seafood producer Bakkafrost. Talks are underway with several more potential tenants, putting Hunterston on track to generate £3.5bn in inward investment and create over 5,000 jobs. Simply put, it is on the verge of becoming the biggest infrastructure hub for the UK’s energy transition.
Driving the net zero transition
At Peel Ports Group, we’re investing boldly to support the UK’s transition to net zero. From Scotland’s west coast to the Celtic Sea, we’re building the clean, efficient, port-centric supply chains our energy future demands. And we’re doing it in partnership with world-class developers and innovative industries.
Clearly, the idea that the UK lacks the necessary infrastructure for a just transition is simply a myth. Scotland in particular already has the reputation, infrastructure and talent to support renewables projects, meet national environmental aspirations, create long-term green jobs, and unlock local and national economic growth opportunities.
But it will take businesses like ours making bold investments to harness the vast potential of sites like Hunterston, to allow us to realise this sustainable, prosperous future. This is a rare opportunity to get in at the ground level of one of the UK’s most transformative clean energy hubs. Developers and partners should act now to secure their place.
Visit the Hunterston PARC website for more information or contact: Lewis McIntyre, Managing Director, Port Services, Lewis.McIntyre@peelports.com or Andrew Martin, Group Development Director, Andrew.Martin@peelports.com
