The Brave Tern offshore wind installation vessel sailed down the Tay from the Port of Dundee on its way to the Neart na Gaoithe (NnG) offshore wind farm for the last time, signalling the successful completion of the port’s role in the construction phase of the project.

Loaded with its final NnG cargo of wind turbine blades, the vessel was bound for the offshore wind farm site located 15km off the coast of Fife at Crail, where the blades have now been installed.

Since 2022, the Port of Dundee has been hosting the turbine components for NnG at its custom-built Wind Turbine Marshalling Facility – DunEco Quay – prior to the towers being pieced together, each 90 metres in height, on the port’s quayside where they have become a familiar part of the city’s skyline. The towers were then shipped along with turbine blades 83.5 metres in length and the generating nacelles to the wind farm site.

NnG, jointly owned by EDF Renewables UK and Ireland and ESB, will have a capacity of c.450MW. It will supply enough low carbon electricity for around 375,000* homes and will offset 400,000 tonnes of CO² emissions each year.

The Port of Dundee’s renewables hub represents a £40 million private investment in Dundee by Forth Ports, creating a 485 metres long heavy lift quayside and lay down area of 15 hectares – equivalent to 20 full size football pitches. It will next play host to the turbine components for the 1.1GW Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm which will be constructed 12km off the Angus coast.

This investment also marked Forth Ports’ entry to the offshore wind market, culminating in a total spend of £150 million and the creation of a further facility at the Port of Leith, providing Scotland with the ports infrastructure it needs to meet the needs of this market, creating both economic activity and a route towards decarbonisation.

Stuart Wallace, Chief Executive of Forth Ports, owners of the Port of Dundee, said: “It’s been our pleasure to host NnG here in Dundee and we look forward to hearing that it’s fully operational and pumping 450MW of clean, green energy into the National Grid in the summer. We’re particularly proud that this project has been delivered with no recordable injuries meaning that everyone involved went home safe. The port teams are now preparing to welcome Inch Cape to both Dundee and Leith as we continue to focus on helping Scotland and the UK meet our carbon reduction and renewables targets.”

Matt Haag, Project Director at NnG, said: “I’d like to thank the Port of Dundee and the people of the city for hosting us as we constructed this major infrastructure project for Scotland. We plan to be fully operational this summer and look forward to maintaining the links that we have built with our land-based neighbours throughout NnG’s 25-year lifespan.”

Dundee City Council leader, Councillor Mark Flynn, said: “I would like to congratulate everyone involved in the operation to transport components to the NnG offshore windfarm from Dundee.  This showcases the important role our port is playing as a key hub in driving forward the nation’s renewable energy ambitions.

Dundee’s involvement in Forth Ports’ delivery of Inch Cape also highlights our strategic importance in the transition to net zero.”

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The Port of Tilbury welcomed the Maritime Minister, Mike Kane MP today (6 February) for a briefing and tour of the UK’s fastest growing port, where, through significant private investment, the port is developing plans to further expand within the Thames Freeport land area to support their major markets.

The Port of Tilbury is working on plans on a 100 acres site to the east of the existing port at Tilbury2 to expand the port related activities on the back of market demand. To be called Tilbury3, the investment will create and sustain skilled jobs and support the current and future needs of its customers in renewables, recycling and logistics. Tilbury3 is within the Thames Freeport tax site land area.

The Minister also met with apprentices and graduates [see images] and was accompanied by Forth Ports’ Chief Executive, Stuart Wallace, Paul Dale, Chief Operating Officer and Peter Ward, Commercial Director, allowing the Minister to see for himself the skills and training opportunities offered throughout the Forth Ports Group as he toured the port’s state-of-the-art training simulator suite.

Maritime Minister, Mike Kane said: “It was fantastic to visit the Port of Tilbury today to see the sheer extent of their operations and to meet with their hardworking apprentices and graduate students. I very much welcome their expansion plans for Tilbury3, which will help strengthen trade links with other countries, boost economic growth and support the skills and jobs needed for the future.”

Stuart Wallace, CEO of Forth Ports, welcomed the Maritime Minister’s visit and commented on the latest major expansion to the Port of Tilbury – Tilbury3: “We were pleased to welcome the Minister to the port today to brief him on our future expansion plans and the offshore renewables opportunities on the horizon. The success and growth of the Port of Tilbury is intertwined with the growth of the green circular, South East and Greater London economies. 

 “The proposed expansion of our operations into Tilbury3, which is backed by substantial shareholder investment and Thames Freeport investment incentives, will support growing customer demand for new or expanded facilities – delivering more high quality employment to the local area.”

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