Major offshore wind expansion at Port of Montrose: Swinney welcomes investment in Scotland’s offshore wind supply chain

First Minister John Swinney has welcomed investment of more than £5 million by Subsea Micropiles to establish a new manufacturing facility at the Port of Montrose.

The new facility will manufacture components used to secure floating offshore wind turbines in deep waters in Scotland, as well as international markets.

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

During a visit to the Port, the First Minister also welcomed SSE's announcement that the Port is its preferred location for the operation and maintenance base for its planned Berwick Bank B offshore wind farm, which is expected to create a further 100 new jobs.

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 said:

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 latest long-term investment will help support the port's continued development as a leading offshore wind hub. This is clear evidence of the potential for the clean energy transition to drive skilled job creation and economic opportunity for communities up and down the country.

Reuben Aitken, Managing Director Investment and International at Scottish Enterprise, said:

"Scotland has a world-class offshore wind opportunity, and innovative companies like Subsea Micropiles will be central to turning that opportunity into jobs, investment and long-term economic value.

We're proud to support the company's expansion in Scotland through our £1.45 million funding, helping unlock more than £5 million 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."

Background

Subsea Micropiles is full-service foundations company with offices in Westhill (Aberdeenshire) and a base of operations at the Port of Montrose. The project is being supported by a £1.45 million Regional Selective Assistance grant from Scottish Enterprise, following a £6.7 million investment delivered through the Scottish National Investment Bank: Subsea Micropiles | Scottish National Investment Bank

The Berwick Bank Wind Farm project represents one of the most significant renewable energy developments proposed for the UK. If built to its full 4.1GW potential capacity across all three phases, Berwick Bank could become the world's largest offshore wind farm on completion. At full production it would be capable of generating enough clean electricity to power more than six million UK homes annually through reliable, home-grown renewable power, making it a nationally significant project for the UK's long-term energy security and clean power ambitions.

Scottish Enterprise (SE) is Scotland's national economic development agency and a non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. It supports businesses to innovate and scale to transform the Scottish economy by focusing on new market opportunities through targeted investment, innovation and internationalisation.