Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) has given its backing to the Opportunity Cromarty Firth Green Free Port bid.
The Danish fund management company has joined a consortium backed by port owners Port of Cromarty Firth, Global Energy Group, Port of Inverness and The Highland Council alongside a dozen regional businesses, public sector organisations and academic bodies.
CIP though its fund CI IV is developing the 100MW Pentland floating offshore wind farm off the coast of Dounreay in Caithness, which, when completed in 2026, will be the world’s largest floating offshore wind farm.
It has also secured rights in the ScotWind leasing round to develop a 2.8GW floating site in the E1 Zone off the east coast of Scotland in collaboration with SSE Renewables and Marubeni.
CIP partner Michael Hannibal said: “Projects such as Pentland and ScotWind along with those from future leasing rounds are highly likely to use the facilities in the Cromarty Firth.
“The area hosts several leading supply chain companies, as well as a locally skilled workforce and world-class port facilities.
“Therefore, the location is ideally suited for supporting manufacturing, assembly, installation and operations, and maintenance activities for these projects.
“Establishment of a Free Trade Zone in the area as proposed by Opportunity Cromarty Firth would encourage such projects to utilise these facilities to their highest potential.
“This in turn will provide significant benefit to accelerating the roll out of fixed and floating offshore wind in the UK, providing more encouragement to sustain and grow the local manufacturing base, along with safeguarding the success achieved to date in the assembly and marshalling of components.
“CIP also recognizes the Cromarty Firth’s strategic position as, as identified in the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council Strategic Investment Assessment.”