Global Energy Group Gets Financial Boost for Port of Nigg Facility Expansion
Scottish regional development agency, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), has approved an investment of up to £8.3m in Scottish Government funding for an £18.9m project to develop the East Quay at Global Energy Group’s Port of Nigg facility.
The project is aimed at helping the Highlands and Islands economy benefit more from the growth in renewable energy development, as well as meeting the needs of GEG’s existing clients.
Once completed, the new facility is projected to bring an additional £11.24m in new business to the area in its first three years and create up to 39 new jobs.
Owned by Global Energy Group (GEG), Port of Nigg is home to the largest graving dock facility in Europe with more than 900 meters of deep-water quayside.
Servicing the oil and gas industry over many decades, the facility has more recently become an established hub in the growing renewables sector.
Its first major renewables project was the logistics and marshaling for the wind turbine scope for the Beatrice offshore wind development, during which time demand for quayside space began to exceed infrastructure capacity.
This demand and the opportunities associated with wider growth in renewables are the main drivers behind the East Quay development.
GEG is planning to build new infrastructure of 225 meters of the additional deep-water quayside and adjacent laydown area at the eastern edge of the park.
This will help meet the needs of existing clients while enabling greater participation in renewables activities with capacity to carry out both the foundation stage and the Wind Turbine Generator (WTG) scope (marshalling, assembly and load out) for large projects.
Work is expected to begin in April and will take around 14-16 months to complete.
Scotland’s Energy Minister, Paul Wheelhouse, said: “Offshore renewables represent a huge opportunity not only for the region, but for all of Scotland and we are committed to making the most of this to support growth within the Scottish supply chain, bring new projects to Scotland and build a green recovery from COVID-19.
“This announcement marks a significant step as we continue to push forward with our ambitious and world-leading net zero targets and a target of seeing 11GW of offshore wind developed in Scotland’s waters by 2030, alongside the launch of Crown Estate Scotland’s first ScotWind leasing round. At the end of last year, we also unveiled more than 100 new policies and proposals to support our green recovery, which will also help deliver a just transition to net-zero.
“Nigg is recognized globally for the abundance of knowledge, skills and expertise it has to offer, including in offshore wind and marine energy projects, and is also recognised for the role it now plays in the energy transition. Now is an opportune time to re-imagine the Scotland around us and to begin building a greener, fairer and more equal society and economy focused on wellbeing.”
Alistair Dodds, chair of HIE, said: “The Highlands and Islands is already a leading region in the advent of renewable energy and indeed punching above its weight in the transition to a net zero economy.
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