The Scottish government is providing funding to BiFab administrators Deloitte to avoid redundancies at the fabricator while a new buyer is sought.
Cabinet secretary for economy, fair work and culture Fiona Hyslop said in a ministerial statement today that the funding would cover wages for 13 full time staff at the company as well as potentially other temporary workers.
She said decisions about a future buyer would be up to the administrator in the first instance but added that the Scottish government’s priority was securing long-term year round employment.
She confirmed that a number of companies had interest in using the company’s Arnish yard on the Isle of Lewis, but added that any plans for decoupling the yard would depend on who came forwards.
Hyslop added that she had written to Saipem about the potential to keep work on eight jackets for the 450MW Neart na Gaoithe project in the BiFab yards but was aware that they had gone to market for alternatives.
A joint UK-Scottish government working group to secure a future for the yards met last Thursday to discuss terms.
Hyslop said reform to CfD auctions was needed so that they should be awarded not solely on price but also weighing the contribution of projects to the domestic supply chain.