THE UK Government has announced £55 million worth of funding for the Port of Cromarty Firth in a bid to create hundreds of skilled jobs in the Invergordon area.
The funding aims to help expand the port, making it the first able to make floating offshore wind turbines on site and at scale in the UK.
With funding from the Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme (FLOWMIS) the UK Government is hoping to secure additional funding from other investors, with the port expected to become operational by the start of 2028.
Construction work on the port’s expansion is expected to create up to 320 jobs, and when fully developed, the port is expected to support up to 1000 skilled jobs.
It is hoped the port will provide employment opportunities in construction, installation, and operational support of offshore and floating offshore wind, including crane operators, marine engineers, and people working on the vessels towing the turbines out to sea.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: “Communities in Scotland and across the country should be powered by reliable, home-grown, clean energy from British coastlines – this is how we reduce our reliance on unstable fossil fuel markets and bring down energy bills for good.
“That’s why the government is getting on with building the infrastructure needed to roll out clean energy quickly, creating skilled jobs in local communities and driving growth – the priority in our Plan for Change.
“The UK is already a world leader in floating offshore wind, but this support for Cromarty Firth will take us even further – creating hundreds of jobs in Scotland and delivering energy security for the UK.”
FLOWMIS was launched in 2023, designed to provide grants to ports to support development of port infrastructure needed for deployment of floating offshore wind at scale.
The Port of Cromarty Firth is one of two ports selected for funding, with plans for the second shortlisted port, Port Talbot, under development.
Alex Campbell, Port of Cromarty Firth Chief Executive, said: “The Port is delighted that FLOWMIS funding has been secured for our ambitious Phase 5 expansion, which is a critical step towards creating the UK’s first custom-built floating offshore wind integration port.
“We believe this confirmation by the UK Government shows the faith in our Trust Port status to deliver jobs and economic growth locally and nationally, and that the certainty from this announcement will unlock further investment in other Ports across the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport to boost their complementary plans.”
