Opportunity Cromarty Firth has thrown its hat into the green freeport ring, with a decision expected imminently. We look at its supporters and merits.
Who is backing it?
Co-ordinating the bid for a Highlands green freeport, Opportunity Cromarty Firth (OCF) is a consortium comprising:
- the ports of Cromarty Firth, Nigg and Inverness.
- Businesses including Global Energy Group, Hitrans, Semco Maritime, Anderson Strathern, Highland Deephaven Industrial Park, Johnston Carmichael, Aventus Energy, BlueFloat Energy and SENSEwind.
- Heavyweight backers also include: Highland Council, the University of the Highlands and Islands, Inverness Chamber of Commerce, Inverness Airport, Inverness Airport Business Park, Loganair and Whyte & Mackay.
What are OCF’s key attributes?
OCF points to the firth being a deep, sheltered North Sea inlet which is the focal point for the development of the UK’s new offshore wind industry, having served as a hub for the oil and gas sector for more than half a century.
OCF said in its bid a proposed floating “super wind hub” assembly and production facility – a development that would be enabled by winning green freeport status – “sets the area apart” from the rest of the country.
Jobs and economic benefits?
An Offshore wind boom coupled with green freeport status is forecast to create around 25,000 direct and indirect jobs, with the majority – around 15,000 – in the Highlands, during a decade of construction.
That phase is expected to contribute around £6 billion to the economy, with a further £60 million a year generated during the operational lifetime of the windfarms.
What about the politicians?
The bid has garnered cross-party political support, with a group of SNP, Liberal Democrat, Conservative and Labour representatives highlighting the potential to attract £20-30bn of investment to the area and create “tens of thousands” of jobs.
What about renewable energy?
Cromarty Firth, on the east coast of the Highlands, was last year identified as the “most suitable location for a Scottish floating wind cluster” in a strategic investment assessment published by the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council.
Hydrogen potential
ScottishPower and Storegga announced plans to jointly develop the UK’s largest green hydrogen plant on the Cromarty Firth.
The project’s first phase, expected to be operational in 2025, will be capable of producing up to 22 tons of green hydrogen a day, to be used in heating processes in nearby distilleries as well as regional transportation.
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