Opportunity Cromarty Firth welcomes UK and Scottish government Green Freeport announcement as opening up new economic opportunities for the wider Highlands and Islands
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Confirmation that the UK and Scottish governments intend to establish two green freeports in Scotland has been warmly welcomed by the Opportunity Cromarty Firth (OCF) consortium as a move which will unlock new economic benefits for the wider Highlands and Islands.
OCF believes the creation of such a zone on the Firth would maximise local and Scotland-wide benefits from a pipeline of renewable energy projects planned and under way and place the Highlands at the heart of the drive towards net zero.
The consortium is backed by port owners Port of Cromarty Firth (PoCF), Global Energy Group, Highland Resources and Port of Inverness alongside a dozen regional businesses, public sector organisations and academic bodies.
Speaking on behalf of OCF, Port of Cromarty Firth chief executive Bob Buskie said: “The decision to establish two Scottish green freeports is excellent news for Scotland and the UK.
"We are delighted the Scottish and UK governments have worked together on a solution which will play an important part in the process of levelling up across the UK, attracting investment and encouraging innovation in the manufacturing sector.
“The award of green freeport status will ensure the successful bidder’s ability to compete on a level playing field with their counterparts in the rest of the UK. That is a key aspiration of the businesses and organisations that have been working closely together for the benefit of the region in the Opportunity Cromarty Firth consortium.
"We believe that today’s announcement could herald a major step towards achieving the consortium’s vital goal of realising the full potential of a sustainable 50-year pipeline of renewable energy projects constructed in Scotland.”
The Cromarty Firth area hosts a number of leading supply chain companies as well as a locally skilled workforce with essential engineering experience. This is coupled with first-class port infrastructure and manufacturing facilities, which have benefitted from over £110 million of industry-led investments in recent years.
Mr Buskie continued: “The Cromarty Firth is ideally placed to become a green freeport and we look forward to working with the Scottish and UK governments as this process moves forward.
“The Firth is uniquely positioned at the heart of a host of multi-billion pound renewable projects, including offshore wind and green hydrogen potentially worth billions of pounds. These in turn would create quality jobs and business opportunities across the Highlands and the whole of Scotland on a level not seen since the oil boom of the 1970s.
“It is vital to the future of the Highlands and Scotland that sectors generating significant employment opportunities and attracting inward investment in innovative technologies, such as the offshore renewables industry, are supported and optimised.”
Both the UK and Scottish governments have agreed to establish a joint applicant prospectus, with ministers and officials from both governments having an equal say throughout the assessment and selection process.
Applicants in Scotland will also be required to contribute towards a just transition to net zero emissions by 2045, delivering net zero benefits and creating new green jobs, and set out how they will support high-quality employment opportunities that offer good salaries and conditions, and embed fair work practices.
Both governments will be able to deliver tax reliefs and other incentives through a combination of devolved and reserved powers, with the UK Government expected to provide up to £52 million in seed funding to help establish Green Freeports in Scotland, in line with funding offered to freeports across England.
Scotland's economy secretary and MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch Kate Forbes said: “I am pleased we have been able to reach an agreement on a joint approach that recognises the distinct needs of Scotland's economy and enshrines the Scottish Government’s commitment to achieving net-zero and embedding fair work practices through public investment.
“Scotland has a rich history of innovative manufacturers and so as we look to grasp the many opportunities of achieving net zero, the establishment of internationally competitive clusters of excellence will help us create new green jobs, deliver a just transition and support our economic transformation.
“We can only seize Scotland’s economic potential if we create secure, sustainable and satisfying jobs that also help build a fairer, more prosperous economy for everyone. That is my absolute priority and establishing green freeports will be integral to achieving this.”
UK minister for housing, communities and local government Michael Gove said: “This is a truly exciting moment for Scotland.
“Green freeports help inject billions into the local economy, while levelling-up by creating jobs for local people, and opportunities for people all over the UK to flourish.
“By collaborating using opportunities like green freeports we can work to level-up the whole of the UK and bring benefits and opportunities to communities that need it most.”
