Major offshore wind expansion to bring 200 jobs to Port of Montrose

Nearly 200 jobs are to be created at the Port of Montrose as part of a major offshore wind expansion.

Subsea Micropiles announced on Monday that it would invest more than £5m to create a new facility at the site, which will manufacture components used to secure floating offshore wind turbines in deep waters in Scotland and in international markets.

The project is expected to create around 80 new jobs. It is being supported by £1.45m funding from Scottish Enterprise, following a £6.7m commercial investment delivered through the Scottish National Investment Bank, as part of the Scottish Government’s £500m commitment to support offshore wind ports and supply chain.

The port has also been selected by SSE as the preferred location for the new operations and maintenance base for its planned 1.4GW Berwick Bank B offshore wind farm, creating 100 new full-time jobs.

The roles will include technicians and engineers responsible for the day-to-day offshore operations of the wind farm throughout its expected operational life of more than 35 years and will be based at a new operational hub on Montrose Port’s south harbour.

Thirty construction jobs will also be supported during the redevelopment of Montrose Port Authority’s existing offices, which will be repurposed for the new base.

If built to its full 4.1GW potential capacity, Berwick Bank could become the world’s largest offshore wind farm. At full production, it would be capable of generating enough clean electricity to power more than six million UK homes annually.

First Minister John Swinney said: “Scotland is already recognised as being at the forefront of floating offshore wind development. The investment behind today’s announcements is a strong vote of confidence in the sector and in the skilled workforce, innovation and expertise that exists here.

“Subsea Micropiles’ commitment to expand at the Port of Montrose will help ensure more of the economic benefits of the energy transition are retained in Scotland, creating high-quality jobs in Angus and the North East, supporting local businesses and strengthening our industrial capabilities.

“SSE’s selection of the Port as its preferred location for its operations and maintenance base for Berwick Bank further strengthens Scotland’s offshore wind supply chain and will create more jobs as well as investment in skills, infrastructure and local communities.

“Scotland’s ports are critical enablers of our offshore wind ambitions and key economic assets for surrounding communities, with the Port of Montrose set to become one of the world’s largest offshore wind operations and maintenance hubs, supporting the Berwick Bank, Seagreen and Inch Cape offshore wind farms.

“Through our strategic investment in offshore wind, we are helping to develop the infrastructure, skills and supply chains needed to secure long-term economic growth and export opportunities from the global market.”

Derek Robertson, CEO at Subsea Micropiles added: “Scotland has become an important base for our growth. We rely on the deep pool of talent, skills and offshore experience here to develop our technology, services and expand into a global market.

“Ultimately, we see significant potential to establish high-volume production of our anchor and foundation systems in Montrose as the market develops. These are scalable solutions which can be manufactured locally, with the potential to retain significant economic benefit in Scotland through engineering, vessel services and offshore supply chain.

“This funding support from Scottish Enterprise is an important part of enabling that next phase of growth and helping us establish the capability required to respond to future market demand.”

Stuart Hood, director of Offshore Wind Operations at SSE Renewables, said: “Scotland has built a world-class offshore wind industry, and today’s announcement shows the economic opportunities that can follow when that expertise is matched with long-term investment.

“Our decision to choose Montrose as the preferred operations base for Berwick Bank B and create 100 new jobs reflects the strength of the port, its people and the local supply chain. SSE has built a strong relationship with Montrose Port over many years, and this investment will help support skilled jobs, local businesses and economic growth in Angus and across Scotland for decades to come.”

Reuben Aitken, managing director of investment and international at Scottish Enterprise, added: “We’re proud to support the company’s expansion in Scotland through our £1.45m funding, helping unlock more than £5m of investment and create 81 jobs. By backing innovative businesses to establish and grow their operations here, we’re strengthening Scotland’s offshore wind supply chain, attracting high-value investment and supporting the technologies that will help drive the energy transition.”