TWO separate projects which could create 180 green energy jobs at the Port of Montrose in Scotland’s north east have been hailed as a “strong vote of confidence in the sector” by the First Minister.
John Swinney visited the site as it was confirmed that company Subsea Micropiles is to invest £5 million to establish a facility there for manufacturing components needed to anchor offshore wind turbines in deep waters.
That project is being backed with £1.45m funding from Scottish Enterprise, which comes after a £6.7m commercial investment delivered through the Scottish National Investment Bank as part of the Scottish Government’s £500m commitment to support the supply chain for offshore wind.
Separately energy giant SSE announced that the Port of Montrose is the preferred site for the operations and maintenance base for its planned 1 Berwick Bank B offshore wind farm.
That could create a further 100 jobs at the site for technicians and engineers at the wind farm, which SSE said could be the largest of its kind in the world, potentially delivering enough electricity to meet more than 6% of UK demand.
Swinney said that the projects showed how the country could “cut emissions while strengthening our economy”.
Speaking as he visited the site on Monday the First Minister stressed: “Scotland is already recognised as being at the forefront of floating offshore wind development.
“The investment behind today’s announcements is a strong vote of confidence in the sector and in the skilled workforce, innovation and expertise that exists here.”
Swinney said that Subsea Micropiles’ commitment to expand at the Port of Montrose will help ensure more of the economic benefits of the energy transition are retained in Scotland, creating high-quality jobs in Angus and the North East, supporting local businesses and strengthening our industrial capabilities”.
And he added: “SSE’s selection of the Port as its preferred location for its operations and maintenance base for Berwick Bank further strengthens Scotland’s offshore wind supply chain and will create more jobs as well as investment in skills, infrastructure and local communities.”
Derek Robertson, chief executive at Subsea Micropiles, said that “Scotland has become an important base for our growth”.
He added: “We rely on the deep pool of talent, skills and offshore experience here to develop our technology, services and expand into a global market.”
And Stuart Hood, director of offshore wind operations at SSE Renewables, said: “Scotland has built a world-class offshore wind industry, and today’s announcement shows the economic opportunities that can follow when that expertise is matched with long-term investment.
“Our decision to choose Montrose as the preferred operations base for Berwick Bank B and create 100 new jobs reflects the strength of the port, its people and the local supply chain.
“SSE has built a strong relationship with Montrose Port over many years, and this latest long-term investment will help support the port’s continued development as a leading offshore wind hub.”
Hood said this was “clear evidence of the potential for the clean energy transition to drive skilled job creation and economic opportunity for communities up and down the country”.
