Peterhead Port Authority is actively pursuing opportunities in offshore wind and oil and gas decommissioning, drawing on its legacy of success across the energy sector to showcase the wide range of activities it can support.
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Geography is a critical factor: 12 of the option areas in the recent ScotWind licensing round are within 120 miles of the port and much of the North Sea oil and gas infrastructure that is due for removal is in close proximity.
But equally as important is the local expertise in – and vast experience of – handling a diverse range of energy projects.
The Port also has a proud record of innovation and investment to support evolving business demands.
As Keith Mackie, the Port’s newly-appointed business development manager for energy transition, points out, the size of the offshore wind opportunity is huge for the north-east of Scotland.
“Ports are going to be a fundamentally important piece of the jigsaw, and already we are hosting visits to Peterhead Port by developers,” he said.
“With many of the developments working on similar timelines, there will be competition for port space and access, which can often be constrained by the limits of physical space.
“Peterhead has a 50-year legacy of support for the energy sector to draw on, in both oil and gas and latterly offshore renewables.
“Our key areas of expertise will likely lie in surveying and marine support; small-scale construction and fabrication of, for example, chains, anchors and cables, rather than large-scale assembly and laydown; and operations and maintenance – we are well-positioned as a hub for major component replacements.”
Peterhead Port is the permanent base for the crew transfer vessels that support the Hywind development 15 miles to the east. The port also handled foundation pieces for the construction of the EOWDC wind farm just off Aberdeen beach. In addition, more than 50 port calls were recorded in relation to the Beatrice and Moray East wind farm projects.
The Port’s support for decommissioning will focus on subsea infrastructure rather than as a base for full platforms being dismantled at the quayside, and a steady flow of smaller projects, with a vessel visit almost every other day, has cemented its reputation for excellence in this field.
The Port’s business in the energy sector complements its role as one of Europe’s largest fishing ports, with the annual turnover of seafood through the port amounting to £190-£200 million in recent years.
This follows its £50 million investment in a new, state-of-the-art fish market, which is accredited with BRCGS food hygiene standards, quayside rebuilding and dredging that significantly enhanced the fleet’s ability to land and sell quality produce. Vessels have 24-hour access to quaysides.
The Port is the UK’s first Responsible Fishing Port and is Marine Stewardship Council-accredited.
At the time of writing, the Port and its partners, Port of Aberdeen, Aberdeen International Airport, Aberdeenshire Council and Aberdeen City Council, are awaiting the outcome of a joint bid for Green Freeport status, which stands significantly to enhance the region’s drive to become Net Zero capital of Europe, through, among other projects, the Acorn carbon capture initiative which would involve imports of carbon dioxide being handled at the Port.
Green Freeport status would also lead a Seafood Transformation Project that would lead to the injection of £77 million into the seafood sector over five years, with almost £50 million invested in processing businesses.