Dundee Ports to Get £10mn Investment to Expand for Decommissioning Work

Forth Ports will invest more than £10mn ($14.4mn) into the Port of Dundee, Scotland, to make it a hub for oil and gas, decommissioning and offshore wind sectors.

In a statement released February 17, Forth Ports said that the investment would enable it to strengthen its quayside to "offer heavy lift capability over its entire 200m length with an ultra-heavy lift pad at one end." This, coupled with the port's size, would facilitate the handled of the largest cargoes, as required by the North Sea oil and gas decommissioning and offshore wind operators, it said. 

“This is an important, privately funded investment for the Port of Dundee which is ideally placed to service the needs of North Sea oil and gas, decommissioning and Scotland’s offshore wind sector over the coming years," CEO of Forth Ports Charles Hammond said. 

According to the company's statement, the required construction work will take 18 months, starting immediately – three years quicker than the £250mn, government-funded Aberdeen City Deal. As part of that deal, Aberdeen harbour will be expanded in a bid to enable the city to compete for decommissioning work.

The Aberdeen City deal was announced last month. 

Erica Mills