Port of Nigg in the Cromarty Firth, Scotland has been conditionally selected by Siemens Gamesa as the planned location for pre-assembly and installation of wind turbines for the Moray West offshore wind farm, offshore wind developer Ocean Winds said Tuesday.
Ocean Winds is developing the Moray West project. Siemens Gamesa, as the preferred bidder for the supply of offshore wind turbines, has signed a conditional agreement with Global Energy Group to use Nigg as the base for installation works.
Subject to the award of a Contract for Difference in 2022 and financial close, the wind turbine components will be marshaled at Nigg prior to installation and commissioning through 2024.
If successful and converted to a firm order, the agreement to supply Moray West would contribute to the pipeline of offshore wind projects that have used Nigg including Moray East, a project in which Ocean Winds is also the majority stakeholder.
According to OceanWinds, Moray West has a rapid deployment plan, which will mean an almost continuous use of Nigg for pre-assembly and installation campaigns for offshore wind energy projects from 2017 to 2024.
Project Director for Moray West, Adam Morrison said: "We are delighted that The Port of Nigg is lined up to host the Moray West turbines, building on the positive track record of this important part of Scottish port infrastructure. Moray West expects to be successful in the next round of CfD and is aiming to move rapidly into full construction this year to deliver reliable energy independence at an affordable price.
The decision to utilize Nigg follows three successful and safe large installation campaigns, including our sister project Moray East. Having suitable facilities to secure the Moray West work has underlined the value of earlier investments in Nigg and the ongoing need to invest in quayside infrastructure to support the growth of the sector. The recent success in the ScotWind leasing round means that Ocean Winds will make significant early investments to drive the next steps necessary to build capability and capacity in the Scottish supply chain.”
Tim Cornelius, CEO of Global Energy Group stated: "We are delighted that our Port of Nigg facility has been chosen by Siemens Gamesa to execute this stage of the Moray West project. Having successfully supported three previous installation campaigns including Moray East, our team is very much looking forward to welcoming the Ocean Winds back to site. The knowledge and experience we gain through each of these campaigns allows us to continually seek to improve our service offerings as Scotland’s leading pre-assembly and turbine installation port.
"Our location coupled with existing laydown space and heavy load-bearing capacity makes the Port of Nigg the ideal location to deliver large-scale storage and marshaling for both fixed and floating offshore wind projects. We are committed to further capital investment in the development of the necessary infrastructure, facilities, and land around the site to support the future increase in demand we expect to see from leading developers such as Ocean Winds.”
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