The Port of Cromarty Firth in Scotland is set to become the first in the UK able to manufacture floating offshore wind turbines on site and at scale, thanks to a £55.7 million grant from the UK Government’s Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme (FLOWMIS).
Offshore wind is central to the UK’s plan to achieve a clean power system by 2030, and floating wind offers huge potential. In fact, according to the International Energy Agency, floating turbines have the ability to generate electricity to power the US, Europe and Japan.
The UK has been a pioneer in floating offshore wind, with Hywind in Scotland being the first commercial project to come online. That wind farm is capable of producing up to 30 MW of electricity from just six turbines, and while that’s low by the standards of some of the newer offshore wind farms, the Kincardine Floating Offshore wind farm went even further, with five floating wind turbines capable of producing 9.5 MW each.
Now, the Labour Government wants to go even further. By funding upgrades to the Port of Cromarty Firth in Scotland, it could enable the development of even more floating offshore wind farms – while also potentially supporting up to 1,000 jobs in floating offshore wind installation and operation, with 320 jobs set to be made available in the near term.
Michael Shanks, Energy Minister, commented, “Communities in Scotland and across the country should be powered by reliable, home-grown, clean energy from British coastlines – this is how we reduce our reliance on unstable fossil fuel markets and bring down energy bills for good.
“That’s why the government is getting on with building the infrastructure needed to roll out clean energy quickly, creating skilled jobs in local communities and driving growth – the priority in our Plan for Change.
“The UK is already a world leader in floating offshore wind, but this support for Cromarty Firth will take us even further – creating hundreds of jobs in Scotland and delivering energy security for the UK.”
Ian Murray, Scottish Secretary, added, “Scotland is a key part of making the UK a global leader in clean energy and this investment is a significant vote of confidence in the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport and the surrounding area.
“Through our Plan for Change the UK Government is paving the way for cutting-edge floating offshore wind technology while also helping to create highly skilled jobs and drive economic growth.”
Alex Campbell, Port of Cromarty Firth Chief Executive, concluded, “The Port is delighted that FLOWMIS funding has been secured for our ambitious Phase 5 expansion, which is a critical step towards creating the UK’s first custom-built floating offshore wind integration port.
“We believe this confirmation by the UK Government shows the faith in our Trust Port status to deliver jobs and economic growth locally and nationally, and that the certainty from this announcement will unlock further investment in other Ports across the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport to boost their complementary plans.”
FLOWMIS, launched in 2023, offers grants to UK ports developing infrastructure critical for rolling out floating offshore wind at scale. Alongside the Port of Cromarty Firth, Port Talbot in Wales has also been shortlisted for funding.
