Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney (pictured, centre) has visited Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport (ICFGF) partner port, Port of Nigg.
The First Minister was welcomed by Calum MacPherson (left in picture), Chief Executive of ICFGF, and Roy MacGregor (right in picture), Chairman of Global Energy Group.
During a tour of Port of Nigg, one of the green freeport’s founding partners, he was introduced to members of the Global Energy Group fabrication team who are involved in a number of significant offshore energy projects.
MacPherson said: “The green freeport represents a transformational opportunity for the Highlands as the largest maritime heavy engineering site in the UK. For our communities, this means more than 10,000 new jobs, over £3 billion of inward investment and a lasting legacy for the next generation.”
Swinney said: “Scotland’s Green Freeports stand to make a major contribution to attracting private investment – promoting growth in high-productivity sectors and creating large numbers of good jobs.
“The Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport aims to create thousands of local jobs in the Highlands and attract investment in the region of over £3.5bn forecast over the next 5 years alone.
“It will focus on the renewable and low-carbon energy industries, particularly offshore wind and green hydrogen, which will help to drive the transition to net zero.
“Visiting the site was an opportunity to see first-hand the progress that has been made to date – and to get a sense of the scale of the future potential here.
“The Scottish Government will continue to play its part in supporting the success of our two Green Freeports and maximising the benefits for Scotland’s economy.”