PORT of Cromarty Firth (PoCF) has become the first independent UK port authority to join leading wind industry body, WindEurope and its Offshore Wind Ports Platform.
PoCF follows in the footsteps of other leading European ports, including Port of Esbjerg and Port of Amsterdam, by becoming a member of the organisation billed as the ‘voice of the wind industry’.
WindEurope boasts a portfolio of over 400 members across 35 countries, with a membership encompassing wind turbine manufacturers, component suppliers, research institutes, national wind and renewables associations, developers, contractors, and electricity providers.
Actively promoting wind power throughout the globe, WindEurope is a key component in the formulating of international policy, research and analysis, in a collaborative approach alongside industry and research institutions.
Ports are key enablers to the growth of the wind industry. In this context, WindEurope’s Offshore Wind Ports Platform offers a forum for ports to discuss challenges and opportunities and exchange best practice and know-how.
PoCF is set to bolster the group’s expertise as it remains at the forefront of Scotland’s offshore wind sector following over £50million of investment over the past seven years.
A new 218m quayside and 45,000sqm laydown area expansion is set to support hundreds of jobs as the Port reasserts its position as a major player in Scotland’s future pipeline of offshore renewable energy developments. The Port is in a prime location to capitalise on the growing offshore wind industry, with the Cromarty Firth within close proximity to 14 of the 15 proposed project sites identified in Scotland’s seabed leasing round for future offshore wind projects – named ScotWind.
Along with Highlands & Island Enterprise and Global Energy Group, the Port of Cromarty Firth is also a founding partner of DeepWind; Scotland’s supply chain cluster of excellence in deep water offshore wind energy.
The Port are leading partners in an ambitious and collaborative initiative, Opportunity Cromarty Firth, exploring the opportunity for the Cromarty Firth to become a Freeport, as part of the UK Government’s post-Brexit economic growth strategy. The Freeport programme recently received the backing of the Scottish Government, providing Scottish ports the opportunity to achieve ‘green port’ status, focusing on fair work, sustainable and net zero priorities. The Opportunity Cromarty Firth initiative is centred around accelerating the deployment, increasing the innovation, and reducing the costs of the sustainable pipeline of renewable energy projects taking place across Scotland.
Bob Buskie, Chief Executive of the Port of Cromarty Firth, said: “We are delighted to have joined WindEurope and are looking forward to sharing our expertise with like-minded professionals from across Europe.
“Scotland is leading the way in offshore wind energy, and we believe that the Cromarty Firth can be the standard bearer as the industry grows. We continue to make significant investments into the Port’s infrastructure as we align ourselves with the ever-evolving nature and requirements of the industry.”
