Moray Council could rake in tens of thousands of pounds each year by applying new charges at its biggest port.
Councillors will this morning be asked to support a proposal to apply fuel levies at Buckie Harbour.
The current annual income at the harbour is less than £300,000 and officers say that a fuel transfer charge will help bring the struggling venue an added £100,000 every year.
Buckie councillor Gordon McDonald, who also serves as the chairman of the Buckie Harbour advisory committee, last night said backing the move should be “a no brainer” for members of the policy and resources committee.
Last month Moray Council unveiled a project aimed at boosting business across the region’s financially floundering harbours.
After learning that its six ports were operating at a collective loss of about £135,000, the authority launched a string of proposals designed to boost their profitability.
Mr McDonald said that if early estimates proved correct, the cash netted by imposing fuel charges at Buckie could almost single-handedly counter the debt afflicting all of the region’s ports.
Mr McDonald added: “If the scheme is as successful as officers believe it will be then that would have a major influence on the harbour being far more of an asset.
“That could almost wipe out all the debt for all the harbours in Moray, and that would be an amazing achievement.”
It is proposed that the transfer of marine gasoil from sea-going vessels to road tankers should be promoted.
Officers have compiled a dossier outlining the possible benefits of the scheme to elected members.
The report says: “There is the potential for the transfer of over 50,000 tonnes of fuel per annum at Buckie Harbour, in partnership with just one local company.
“It is proposed that the fuel transfer charge at Buckie Harbour should be set at £2.00 per tonne.
“If the plans are established, new income of £100,000 per annum could be generated for Buckie Harbour.”
Councillors have been advised that at Aberdeen harbour fuel is transferred at a cost of £1.94 per tonne and a charge of £1.90 is imposed per tonne at Scrabster harbour.
The authority hopes that if measures such as the fuel transfer charge prove successful, the ports at Buckie, Burghead, Hopeman, Findochty, Portknockie and Cullen can all become self-funding within five years.