Conservation body WWF Scotland has welcomed the prospect of new jobs for two Highland ports from a planned floating wind farm demonstrator project.
A workforce of around 100 at Nigg Energy Park is expected to be involved in the fabrication of the Dounreay Tri prototype if the development is granted planning permission by Scottish Ministers and Marine Scotland.
Seven jobs will also be created at Scrabster Harbour to service the project, off the Caithness coast, the company behind the scheme said this week.
Yesterday WWF Scotland director, Lang Banks, said: “It should be the ambition of every renewable energy project built in Scotland to ensure the maximum number of jobs are also created here. It’s therefore good to know two Highland ports stand to benefit should this project be given the go ahead.
“This proposal will of course have to go through all the usual planning processes. However, successfully developing floating turbines could enable Scotland and other nations to secure even more clean power from offshore wind in the future.”
Dounreay Tri Limited, the company formed by Sweden-based firm Hexicon for the project applied for planning permission for the twin-turbine 10MW development, 3.7 miles off Dounreay, in November. The company say work is likely to start if planning consent is given by March 31.
It has awarded the construction contract to Nigg Energy Park owners Global Energy Group and signed a memorandum of understanding with Scrabster Harbour.
If consented, the 623ft by 328ft floating platfom and 98ft high columns will be the largest structure to be fabricated in recent years in the dry dock at Nigg.
