The port of Nigg in Scotland has completed construction of the East Quay, increasing the deepwater quayside capacity to over 1,200 m.
The East Quay measures 225 m long and 50 m wide. Its opening will enable the port to service multiple large-scale energy sector projects simultaneously while ensuring the facility has the necessary infrastructure in place to accommodate the demands of future floating offshore wind sector opportunities.
Rory Gunn, facilities director, said: “Our new East Quay helps us better service our existing customer’s needs, in the renewables, oil and gas, and nuclear sectors, and the enhanced capabilities will assist us to attract inward investment with a vision to create long term skilled manufacturing jobs at our port, which will become a national hub for the renewables industry. Operationally, the additional quay and associated laydown area provides us with a lot of flexibility, and this multi-million pound investment is further evidence of our commitment to ensure our facility is ‘best in class’ for meeting both existing and future industry demands.
“It will be a huge selling point for us when tendering for the next generation of floating offshore wind projects, with the additional deepwater quayside allowing us to do the fabrication and assembly of the floating hulls at the port’s South Quay area while the wind turbine integration onto the floating foundations is being conducted at the East Quay,” he added.
The quay has already welcomed its first vessel – Boa Sub C – which is loading out structures fabricated at Nigg for the oil and gas industry.
Roy MacGregor, chairman of Global Energy Group (GEG), which owns and operates the port of Nigg, said: “I can’t underestimate what a huge benefit the new East Quay will be to the port of Nigg and its supply chain, and what an enhancement the development is to the Cromarty Firth’s bid for green freeport status.”
nigg.com
