Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport (ICFGF)’s Port of Nigg (pictured) has been awarded customs site status by HMRC, paving the way for greater volumes of offshore wind components.
Heavy engineering components such as offshore wind foundations, manufactured HV/DC Cables, wind turbines generator components and fabricated steel structures are expected to pass through the port.
A customs site is a designated area within the green freeport that sits outside the UK’s normal customs rules.
Businesses using the customs site benefit from duty suspension of imported goods providing they are not imported into the wider UK after leaving the port.
Additionally, there are no export duties on products going into use in British waters outside a 12-mile territorial limit or to countries overseas.
It is also possible to store equipment and cargo at the port for long durations without incurring duties, and businesses can use a simplified administrative procedure for documenting the import and export of goods.
ICFGF is required to have at least one operational customs site to enable the Scottish and UK governments to approve its full business case.
That final phase in the administrative process is now expected to happen within a matter of weeks, it said.
Port of Nigg on the Cromarty Firth, operated by Global Energy Group, who are one of the green freeport’s founding partners, was selected as the first candidate to apply for the status due to its existing and well-established processes for security and cargo handling.
Along with the designation of special tax sites that provide incentives to businesses in the green freeport, the custom site status was a critical factor in attracting Sumitomo Electric Ltd to Port of Nigg, ICFGF added.
The company is currently constructing a £350m subsea cable manufacturing plant there that will create more than 150 highly skilled local jobs.
Calum MacPherson, chief executive of ICFGF, welcomed the custom site designation and thanked Port of Nigg for driving it forward.
The port was required to show that it could meet stringent criteria as an operator, including on site audits conducted by HMRC to review security measures, inventory control processes and operating procedures.
These criteria will be regularly reviewed by HMRC.
MacPherson said: “The work and lessons learned will benefit other organisations within the green freeport that want to become customs sites.
“Port of Nigg has demonstrated the exceptionally high standards organisations will need to meet to operate these HMRC regulated zones.
“Our ports do not handle small consumer goods so we will not see, for example, transit of large volumes of food and drink.
“Where our ports excel is in the handling of heavy engineering components for the energy sector, and this status significantly raises our potential as a major European hub for offshore wind and renewable energy technologies.
“We’re operating in a global market, but the green freeport levers are enabling the Highlands to compete and – as we’ve seen from the significant inward investment already secured – win on the international stage.”
Rory Gunn, facilities director at Port of Nigg, added: “As a large and established hub facility within the energy industry, the customs site status will further enhance our competitiveness, especially in the offshore renewables sector.
“It will enable us to attract new opportunities and provide benefits to our existing and future clients.
“In the future, we hope that more components for the energy industry will be manufactured and moved through the port and make use of the customs site benefits.
“The HV/DC cables which will be manufactured at the new Sumitomo Electric factory are a good example of new products that will be loaded in and out of the port.
“The designation is a critical component of the green freeport and is a key driver of inward investment and growth.
“The customs site status, coupled with the tax site benefits, will make the Port of Nigg a very attractive place for investment and businesses to locate, which in turn creates local jobs and opportunities.”