£6m approved for offshore wind sites in Highland and Lewis

The funding is part of the Scottish Government’s wider strategic investment of up to £500m over five years to develop the offshore wind supply chain.

Navantia UK Ltd is to receive a £2.05m contribution for a £5m project at the Arnish Yard in Stornoway to increase capacity and productivity in its manufacture of offshore wind infrastructure.

This investment will support the purchase and installation of upgraded plant and equipment to improve the company’s capacity to handle larger projects seamlessly and promptly. It will also improve its environmental credentials by reducing energy consumption.

As a result, Navantia’s existing workforce of 150 at Arnish, including around 30 apprentices, is forecast to increase to 250 over the next ten years. More than 75 of these are directly linked to HIE’s funding approval. 

 

A separate project to advance the next stage of development of the Ardersier Energy Transition Facility in the Inner Moray Firth will receive a £3.959m investment.

This is being developed and operated by Ardersier Port (Scotland) Limited, the operating subsidiary of Haventus. It will provide Scotland’s largest facility on the North Sea coast for the deployment, servicing, manufacturing and integration of offshore wind components, offering critical infrastructure for both fixed and floating wind projects.

Phase 1 of the development is now complete, and the facility is now ready for operational activity and is engaged with a number of key customers. 

The HIE approved funding towards the next phase of development will contribute towards the front-end engineering and design and some initial civil works related to the quay wall in advance of further work to expand the facility. 

HIE chief executive Stuart Black said:

“Renewable energy presents one of the biggest ever economic opportunities for the Highlands and Islands. It’s important that we capitalise on this and that’s what these enabling investments are about. They help strengthen the supply chain infrastructure that supports the growth in offshore wind developments. Ultimately, they will create new well-paid jobs and provide rewarding career opportunities for young people. And they will benefit businesses in the wider economy. I’m delighted we’ve been able to approve this funding and look forward to seeing the projects take shape.”

Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said:

“The growth of both Ardersier Energy Transition Facility and Navantia’s operations at Arnish will bring meaningful benefits to Lewis and the Highlands.

“Offshore wind is one of the biggest economic opportunities Scotland has ever had. These investments will significantly boost Scotland’s clean energy sector, support new well-paid, skilled jobs in Stornoway and boost economic opportunity at Ardersier.”

Interim chief executive officer of Haventus Ian Cobban said:

“We welcome HIE’s approval of this valuable capital funding. The alignment of national, regional and local government in Scotland, in support of the renewable energy industry, has been of critical value to Haventus, as we developed our facility. Ardersier now enters its operational phase at a moment when the UK’s security of energy supply is a focus of attention. We look forward to playing our part as a central element in the supply chain for a new national and global industry.”

Navantia UK CEO Donato Martinez said:

“This support from [Highlands and Islands Enterprise/the Scottish Government] will help accelerate our investment programme at Arnish, a facility with a strong track record in complex offshore fabrication and a highly skilled workforce. Navantia UK is building on these strengths to ensure Arnish is best placed for future opportunities across the energy market, including offshore wind, creating high‑quality, long‑term jobs for the community.”

HIE has also approved a £965,000 investment at its own hand in a separate pre-construction project at Arnish to enable additional development of facilities to further strengthen the offshore wind supply chain capacity.

These latest HIE approvals take the agency’s total investment in Arnish to more than £8.2m in recent months. It approved £3.4m for major upgrades of Arnish Road in November, and £1.8m in January for the early stages of Stornoway Port Authority’s Deep Water South project. These were also from the Scottish Government’s wider strategic investment of up to £500m over five years to develop the offshore wind supply chain.