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North-east heavy lift company adds weight to Highland green freeport bid

Zero-C heavy lift ship at sea.
Artist’s impression of a Zero-C Offshore vessel.

An Aberdeen-based offshore wind industry vessel owner is the latest member of Opportunity Cromarty Firth (OCF).

Zero-C Offshore is building a fleet of next generation, UK-flagged and owned ultra-low emissions heavy lift vessels for the offshore wind energy sector.

OCF is the partnership of private, public and academic sector bodies bidding to make Cromarty Firth a Scottish green freeport.

WindFloat turbine at Port of Cromarty Firth.
WindFloat turbine at Port of Cromarty Firth.

Zero-C Offshore said its project to build a zero-emission capable floating foundation installation vessel was “perfectly aligned” with the aims of OCF, as well as its own mission of “spearheading the growth of UK-led clean shipping” in the sector.

It added the Cromarty Firth was “already synonymous with the industry,” thanks to the extra-large jacket foundations being marshalled at Global Energy Group’s deep-water Port of Nigg facility.

Five green freeport bids for Scotland

Five bids have been received to create green freeports in Scotland.

The four others are North East Scotland Green Freeport, Orkney Green Freeport, Forth Green Freeport and Clyde Green Freeport.

The Press and Journal has called for the UK and Scottish governments to support the proposals put forward on behalf of Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport and North East Scotland Green Freeport.

Each region is in a fierce competition with each other to land a share of £52 million of government funding, alongside a package of tax and customs allowances as well as investment incentives for areas around airports, seaports and rail terminals.

Cromarty Firth ‘ideal location’

A spokesman for Zero-C Offshore said: “We are delighted to have become a member of Opportunity Cromarty Firth and to be working with the consortium in its bid to secure green freeport status.

“The Cromarty Firth is an ideal location for the manufacture, staging and deployment of wind farm foundations and other elements for the numerous wind farm projects planned around the coast of Britain.

“We hope to make our fleet a feature of this initiative”

Port of Nigg.
Port of Nigg.

Speaking on behalf of OCF, Steve Chisholm of Global Energy Group said: “We are very pleased to welcome Zero–C Offshore to the OCF consortium.

“With the UK’s ambitious targets for offshore wind power generation, the need for the next generation heavy lift vessels they are set to deliver is crucial in achieving government milestones for offshore wind deployment and net-zero.”

Backing across the region

The OCF consortium, launched in 2020, includes the ports of Cromarty Firth, Nigg and Inverness, as well as Inverness Airport and its business park.

It is backed by Inverness Chamber of Commerce and more than a dozen businesses.

Public sector organisations and academic bodies including Highland Council and UHI are also on board.

The consortium’s bid for green freeport status, submitted to the Scottish and UK governments in June, is backed by 13 of the 17 winners of ScotWind seabed leases for new offshore wind farms.

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