Manufacturing Biz #2 - Magazine - Page 41
£6.5bn worth of offshore wind
projects move a step closer
A
series of projects which could be
worth upwards of £6.5bn have
passed the first hurdle to becoming
reality in Scotland offshore wind economy.
The SIM (Strategic Investment Model)
Working Group has published further
information about the initial three projects
moving into the SIM Stage 2 process. SIM
projects have been assessed in terms
of relevance to individual offshore wind
project delivery, with multiple developers
also expressing interest in taking part in
collaborative meetings.
In Stage 2 the focus will be on how to
ensure these projects have confidence to
make a Final Investment Decision.
Offshore wind developers, Enterprise
Agencies, Scottish Government and other
interested parties, will work collaboratively
to help these projects secure the backing
they need to move ahead. In testing its
approach with the three initial projects, the
SIM will be looking to better understand
how different means of support can be
brought together to help projects reach
final investment decision.
Details of the initial two port projects being
taken forward are below.
Port of Cromarty Firth Expansion (Port of
Cromarty Firth)
The Port of Cromarty Firth (PoCF) is
planning to expand its port to support
the deployment of floating offshore wind
farms (FLOW), by developing an additional
5 Hectares of storage space to enable
the construction of circa 1GW of floating
offshore wind capacity per year. The facility
will be capable of supporting the assembly
of floating offshore wind foundations and
the integration of floating offshore wind
turbines
At its peak of operation, PoCF estimates
this facility can support 1,148 direct and
1,060 indirect well-paid jobs per annum,
along with investment in local training,
and provide much needed capacity to
the offshore wind industry to deploy its
pipeline of projects. It provides an optimal
solution to industry needs, reducing supply
chain costs, and lowering the Contract for
Difference (CfD) price wedge.
This initial 5ha development is part of a
wider plan to extend the existing 12ha of
open storage capacity adjacent to a 372m
quayside, currently being used to marshall
the Moray West XL monopiles, by adding
20ha of lay down area and a 413m quay, in
four phases. In this first phase, Phase 5A,
PoCF will deliver 5ha of land (15t/m2), a
175m quay with a heavy load pad (25t/m2),
as well as a deep pocket (16m) next to the
quay, delivering 17ha in total with 547m
quay ready for 2028. Port of Cromarty Firth
is a part of the Inverness and Cromarty
Firth Green Freeport.
Port of Nigg West Deepwater Quay
Expansion Project (Global Energy Nigg Ltd)
The Port of Nigg West Deepwater Quay
Expansion is set to address the increasing
demand for larger deep-water facilities in
the UK to support the offshore renewables
industry. Led by Global Energy Group,
the project will expand the existing West
Quay at Nigg, creating a new ultra-deep
water berth, featuring a 160m quay at a
water depth of 22m Lowest Astronomical
Tide (LAT). The expansion will create
an expansive laydown and storage area
totalling 46,860m2, with a ground loading
capacity of 50mt/m2.
The Port of Nigg has played a crucial role
in supporting five major offshore wind
projects in Scotland, totalling 2.6GW.
The proposed expansion will enhance
Nigg’s capacity to accommodate the next
generation offshore wind structures, both
fixed and floating, and larger installation
vessels.
Central to this development is the creation
of an ultra-deep water sea-facing berth,
positioning the Port of Nigg as one of the
UK’s deepest ports. The expansion will
result in a combined addition of 420m of
quayside being available at Nigg, taking the
facility’s total quayside to an impressive
1,555m. The project will cement the Port of
Nigg as a leading location for existing fixedbottom offshore wind projects and support
the industrialisation of floating offshore
wind. The Scottish Government’s Energy
Minister Gillian Martin said: “The Scottish
Government is determined to maximise
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