This week (w/c 28 July) Kishorn Port welcomed Scotland’s Deputy First Minister, Kate Forbes MSP, to show her at first hand the rapid progress that is being made on its £42.2million expansion project.
Last month, the Deputy First Minister announced investment of up to £24m by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), enabling the business to deliver this major development.
It will enable Kishorn Port to play a pivotal role in the delivery of offshore wind projects in Scotland and elsewhere.
Within days of the Deputy First Minister’s announcement, work got underway on this project, which includes expansion of our dry dock and land reclamation giving us capacity for the manufacture of floating offshore wind foundations.
It has been forecast that, once the Port is fully developed, our expanded facilities will have the capacity to attract projects with the potential of supporting up to 1,500 jobs.
Kishorn Port Limited (KPL) director, Alasdair Ferguson, said, “It was a great pleasure to welcome the Deputy First Minister to the Port this morning, to show her at first hand the progress we are making on this game-changing project.
“The investment by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Scottish Government was vital to this major step in the continuing development of our facilities, and we are extremely grateful for their support.
“This expansion will enable us to provide full integration for offshore wind projects, with laydown, marshalling and assembly in the long-term. It opens Kishorn to new market opportunities and we are already receiving strong expressions of interest. As well as Scotland, key target markets are the Celtic Sea and the Irish Sea.
“Importantly, it will provide the catalyst for the support and creation of jobs in Wester Ross and the wider Highlands, benefiting communities across the area.”
Construction work on the expansion project, creating 84 jobs for up to 18 months, started on Monday June 16.
Principal contractor for the project is RJ McLeod (Contractors) Limited, based in Scotland, with offices in Dingwall and a long-established track record in the Highlands. Supporting services are also being delivered by Scottish firms: marine consulting civil engineers; Wallace Stone, environmental consultants; Affric Limited and project management consultants, Leapmoor LLP.
