A £150m upgrade to an Ayrshire marine yard has been awarded planning permission in Scotland, paving the way for increased offshore wind power off the UK’s west coast.
Peel Ports Clydeport has secured permission for the complete redevelopment of the Hunterston marine yard (pictured) as it prepares the site for major renewables infrastructure.
The redevelopment works – which are expected to start in early 2025 and last for around two years – will include substantial upgrades to the marine yard, including infilling the current dry-dock basin and the creation of a new quay wall.
Highview Power recently announced it is to construct the world’s largest Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) facility at Hunterston, the latest in a string of renewables projects that are either underway, or in the pipeline, at the site.
The overall redevelopment of Hunterston is expected to attract £3.5bn in inward investment and create over 5,000 jobs.
Lewis McIntyre, managing director for port services at Peel Ports Group, said: “Hunterston is set to become a major facilitator of the UK energy transition, and this decision is a big step forward in making that happen.
“It also proves that the west coast is going to play a huge role in renewables.
“There will be no energy transition without ports, and harnessing the potential of sites like Hunterston is key to achieving the UK’s net-zero goals.
“The knock-on benefits for the local and national economies are also significant.
“We look forward to working with the policymaking community to create the investment conditions we need to replicate the success of Hunterston at other sites across the country.”
In addition to the planning permission granted today, the final hurdle of the redevelopment will be to secure the necessary marine licences, for which consultation is well underway, and once secured the works can commence.
The redevelopment will continue the transformation of the former Hunterston coal terminal into a leading hub for the blue and green economies.
Of the 350 acres being redeveloped, some 90% of the site is already under option, supporting energy transition projects such as HVDC cable manufacturing, the UK’s first hub for the manufacturing of gravity base structures, power generation and storage.