Port of Cromarty Firth in Inverness has chosen RJ McLeod to carry out pre-construction work for its planned £111m Phase 5 expansion.
The expansion will increase the size of the port’s current 9Ha Quay West facility and provide the critical facilities needed in Scotland for the rapid development of new North Sea fixed-bottom and floating offshore wind farms.
Under the £1.5m contract, RJ McLeod will carry out all required pre-construction work in readiness for the construction stage of the expansion (computer rendering pictured).
The civil engineering contractor will be tasked with undertaking detailed design and producing a construction programme and plan, as well as planning the procurement of critical materials.
The Glasgow-based company was selected using SCAPE Scotland’s Utilities Works and Services Framework.
The pre-construction stage is due to be finalised in the summer, with construction then due to commence in the autumn.
The awarding of the contract comes after the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero confirmed the award of £55.7m of Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme (FLOWMIS) funding to the port to create a custom-designed floating offshore wind integration and pre-commissioning facility, paving the way for it to negotiate further match-funding from private investors.
The expansion project is expected to create 170 to 320 jobs in the construction phase.
When complete, it will provide the larger facilities needed for the integration, pre-commissioning and operational support to floating offshore wind.
Port chief executive Alex Campbell said: “The port is delighted to award the pre-construction contract to Scottish company RJ McLeod.
“The award recognises the company’s long and successful track record in delivering projects of huge significance to the area in which they are built.
“Everyone at the port is looking forward to working with RJ McLeod on Phase 5, our most ambitious expansion project yet.”
Hamish Seaton, north director at RJ McLeod, said: “This project will provide us with the opportunity to deliver a boost to the local economy, not only in terms of employment with a local Highland contractor, but also in terms of the extensive and valuable local supply chain of goods and services.
“We look forward to working with the port to progress this project, which once completed will mark a milestone moment in Scotland’s renewable energy journey.”
Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: “Our £55m investment in Cromarty Firth will help it develop into one of the first UK ports able to deploy floating offshore wind turbines at scale.
“It’s fantastic to see progress today in rolling out the next stage of this project that will support rapid expansion of new offshore wind in the North Sea.”