Scottish government agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is set to make a £24 million investment to expand facilities at Kishorn Port.
Historically a hub for the oil and gas sector, Kishorn will be upgraded to enable the manufacture of floating offshore wind foundations.
The project involves an expanded dry dock and land reclamation, with the expanded facilities expected to support up to 1,500 jobs at the port once complete.
The HIE investment comes as part of a £500m commitment from the Scottish government to develop ports and the offshore wind supply chain.
Located on Loch Kishorn near the Isle of Skye, Kishorn Port provides a strategic location for offshore wind components marshalling and manufacturing.
The Scottish government said Kishorn will play a “crucial role” in supporting current offshore wind developments in the region.
Kishorn is also “well positioned to capitalise on future opportunities extending beyond Scotland”, the government said.
Kishorn Port upgrades
SNP deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said the £24m spend is “one of the most significant public investments” in Scotland’s 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,” Forbes said.
HIE chief executive Stuart Black said Kishorn is “at the heart” of the “massive opportunity” for the Highlands and Islands coming from offshore wind.
“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,” Black said.
© Supplied by Kishorn Port Limited“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.”
Kishorn Port Limited director Alasdair Ferguson said the funding is a “significant milestone” for the continuing development of the 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,” Ferguson said.
“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.”
Offshore wind ports investment
Other investments from the £500m fund include an investment from the Scottish National Investment Bank in subsea cable manufacturer XLCC.
HIE has also awarded grant funding to develop new harbour facilities at Scapa Flow harbour in Orkney and supported the Port of Nigg’s inner east quay project.
Meanwhile, Scottish Enterprise has provided grant funding to assist a planned expansion of operations at the Port of Montrose.
