Montrose Port Authority (MPA) in Scotland has welcomed local MSP for Angus North and Mearns, Mairi Gougeon, on a visit to its site last week.
During a tour of the facility, Tom Hutchison, CEO of Montrose Port Authority, provided an insight into recent developments at the port, including the recently announced £1m self-funded 50/50 partnership investment with Plug Shore Power Ltd to become the first Scottish port to offer shore power to offshore energy vessels.
With the Port being strategically well-placed to work with supply vessels servicing oil rigs and wind farms in the North Sea, 76% of its clients operate in the energy sector and the Montrose site is home to the O&M base for Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm, a joint venture between SSE Renewables and TotalEnergies.
As part of her visit, Ms Gougeon was also welcomed on board the Edda Brint, the large purpose built Service Operations Vessel (SOV) for Seagreen, and then at the Seagreen Operations and Maintenance base to take a tour around the Marine Control Centre and hear more about the progress being made with construction works offshore.
Gougeon said: “I appreciated the opportunity to visit the high-tech Edda Brint vessel and gain a better understanding of the work involved in the construction and ongoing operation and maintenance of the Seagreen wind farm.
“The sheer scale of the site and ongoing work is staggering.
“Not only is a project of this scale important for renewable energy production in Scotland, it has a huge knock-on impact on our local economy with the associated jobs and skills coming to the area.
“The port’s recent investment in shore power infrastructure further cements Montrose Port’s status as a key base for offshore renewables, showcasing their commitment to driving economic prosperity in Montrose, Angus and the wider North East.”