The Rt Hon Alister Jack, Secretary of State for Scotland visited Leith to see the country’s largest renewables hub which is currently being built.
Forth Ports which owns the port of Leith has invested £50 million in the hub which sits on a 175 acre site.
The constructors GRAHAM completed the piling and creating foundations for the platform last month and Mr Jack saw for himself the beginning of the installation of the pre-cast concrete sections which will create the surface of the heavy lift riverside berth.There will eventually be 108 sections put in place, constructed with an engineered lower carbon concrete.
The hub will be used for the largest offshore wind installation vessels in the world, with a heavy lift capability of up to 100 tonnes per square metre. This is part of Forth Ports’ plan to create a high capacity FLOW (floating offshore wind) facility in Burntisland as well as benefiting from the Forth Green Freeport investment incentives. This facility will be part of the Freeport’s strategically located tax and customs sites which the government say will generate thousands of high-quality green jobs.
Charles Hammond OBE, Group Chief Executive of Forth Ports, who hosted the Secretary of State today, said: “We welcome the Secretary of State’s visit to see for himself the scale of the renewables hub we are creating in Leith. We are transforming the port into Scotland’s largest renewables hub and, coupled with our vision to create a FLOW facility in Burntisland, we will advance the country’s delivery of a green economy rich in skilled employment and new infrastructure.
“Our investment in Leith is crucial to the success of the Forth Green Freeport, which has the potential to support offshore wind construction projects and the hydrogen economy, and create local manufacturing content, local jobs and skills development for the next generation.”
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “It was a real pleasure to visit Forth Ports today to see progress on the construction of their new renewables hub. The project will make a huge contribution to our energy transition, as well as boosting local supply chains, creating new jobs and giving the local economy a real boost.
“UK Freeports, and the tax breaks which go with them, encourage regional economic growth by promoting trade, investment and jobs. I am very pleased that the UK Government has brought two to Scotland, as well as two Investment Zones. They are a key part of the UK Government’s strategy to grow Scotland’s economy.”
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