100+ jobs supported by HIE in Moray in 2023/24
As a result of HIE’s support, businesses in Moray are forecast to see combined turnover rise by more than £85m and international sales by almost £14m.
Make your life easier with a MyHIE account. It’ll save you time, help you find and organise content based on your needs and interests.
Having on-site accommodation will enhance the dock’s capacity and help it attract more high-end contracts in offshore renewables and oil and gas decommissioning. This in turn will bring wider benefits to the local economy.
Kishorn Port Ltd (KPL) is a joint venture between Leiths (Scotland) Ltd and Ferguson Freight Holdings Ltd, both of whom have businesses at the port. Ferguson Transport and Shipping operate the port and use as a base for their marine logistic services to the aquaculture industry and Leiths operate a quarry on the site.
Kishorn dry dock was developed in the 1970s as a manufacturing and fabrication yard for oil platforms. As one of the largest dry docks in Europe, the facility was also central to the manufacturing of the two Skye Bridge concrete caissons in the 1990s.
Last week it welcomed Teekay’s Banff FPSO for temporary mooring and the Dry Dock was also recently used for the dismantling of the Kaami cargo vessel, which ran aground off the coast of Skye in March.
Other projects in recent years include support service on the Ocean Great White rig, prior to it being commissioned to the West of Shetland oil field.
In 2017 the dock was completely refurbished in readiness for new contracts. The abutment gates and seals were overhauled, the site was prepared in readiness and a new access concrete ramp was created. The £450,000 project included £158,932 from HIE.
KPL also secured £800,000, from the Scottish Government’s Decommissioning Challenge Fund, for infrastructure upgrades at the dry dock, certified by Bureau Veritas and now open for business.
The accommodation project will involve the installation of two blocks housing 28 single bedrooms.
Alastair Nicolson, HIE’s area manager for Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross, said:
“Kishorn Port and Dry Dock is a great asset to Wester Ross that supports valuable jobs in a very rural area. It contributes to economic and community growth and the wider competitiveness of the region.
“The dock has huge potential, not only in the decommissioning of floating structures, but in the extension of life for oil and gas assets, renewables and aquaculture projects as well.
“We are very pleased to be able to support this latest project to develop on site accommodation. This will enhance the site’s capacity and help it attract more high-value contracts.”
Alasdair Ferguson, Director of Kishorn Port Ltd, said:
“HIE’s financial support at Kishorn is very much appreciated. This support funding has allowed us to develop on site accommodation to support contractors and staff who are out with reasonable travelling distance to work on site for projects such as the ones we are currently undertaking and also for future contracts.”
As a result of HIE’s support, businesses in Moray are forecast to see combined turnover rise by more than £85m and international sales by almost £14m.
As a result of HIE support, businesses in the area will see total turnover rise by £14.5m and international sales by £1.9m.
Figures show HIE approved £1.5m investment across 18 Shetland projects in 2023-24
Figures compiled by HIE show that businesses and communities supported by the agency in 2023/24 are set to create or retain more than 1,200 jobs across the region.
Beinn an Tuirc Distillery is investigating the development of two new canned ready to drink (RTD) cocktail recipes.
£250k helped leverage a further £3.6m in national investment
Enterprise agencies welcome Sumitomo milestone as ground is broken on £350m factory project
Event in Portree on Saturday 27 April to encourage more people into the profession
The signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Scotland’s enterprise agencies and the world’s largest shipbuilding company could bring economic benefits for the Highlands and Islands.
The owners have secured up to £175,900 investment from HIE towards the works, which will help boost annual turnover and support local jobs.
A community project is under way in Knoydart to improve cycling facilities for visitors and residents.