Ardersier Port hub to play major role in new 1GW Aspen offshore wind project; developer Cerulean Winds says up to 1000 jobs could be created by the North Sea project over 50 years, creating £10.9bn in UK investment
More than 1000 jobs could be created over the 50-year lifespan of a major new offshore wind farm that will be built and serviced by the Port of Ardersier.
Almost £11bn in UK investment could also be created over the lifespan of the 1GW Aspen floating wind farm, which will be located in the central North Sea.
The figures were announced on Monday when energy minister Michael Shanks visited the Ardersier Energy Transition Facility near Inverness as a guest of Cerulean Winds - the developer behind Aspen.
Around 100 of the 1000 jobs supported by the new wind farm will be apprenticeships.
The Ardersier Energy Transition Facility will serve as the strategic hub for the Aspen project, which Cerulean says makes it the UK’s first dedicated assembly, delivery and operations centre for floating offshore wind (FLOW).
The firm added that anchoring this “vital part of the supply chain in Scotland… will help establish a fully integrated industrial ecosystem – ensuring that long-term economic value is retained within the UK”.
Dan Jackson, founding director of Cerulean Winds said: “This project has the potential to support thousands of skilled jobs and billions in investment to the UK. From a base in Scotland, Cerulean Winds and our delivery partners want to grasp the opportunity of creating a floating offshore wind supply chain industrial base in the UK.
“Having our delivery partners already in place, working together to a shared goal means that we’re able to accurately predict the benefits that Aspen can deliver.”
Aspen is being delivered by a range of partners with technical expertise and experience in delivering large scale offshore projects. The consortium includes NOV, Siemens Energy, Bilfinger, Ocean Installer, alongside Haventus – the latter of which behind the redevelopment of Ardersier Port.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks, who visited Ardersier Energy Transition Facility on Monday, said: “The clean energy transition is well underway in Scotland - thanks to state-of-the-art offshore wind projects, like this one at the Port of Ardersier, that will help us deliver on our Plan for Change and clean power by 2030 mission.
“Today’s commitment from Cerulean Winds and its partners shows exactly how this transition will bring good jobs and growth to Scotland, as Britain’s fast expanding renewable energy powerhouse.”
The £10.9 billion investment includes £5.9 billion during development and construction and £100 million annually during 50 years of operations. This expenditure is expected to provide £4.1billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK, £2.8billion of which will be in Scotland.
Once built, the three Cerulean Winds projects (Aspen, Beech and Cedar), could comprise up to 300 turbines. The 1GW Aspen site will be developed first, providing new offshore wind capacity that the firm says will help towards meeting the UK government’s target of creating 50GW of new energy by 2030.
