Major cable factory in Easter Ross will be ‘a boon for future generations’, says Highland MP Jamie Stone
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A MASSIVE new subsea cable factory in Easter Ross will help future generations stay in the Highlands to live and work, a delighted local MP believes.
Jamie Stone, who represents Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, was reacting amid news that Global Energy Group has submitted plans for the project at Nigg.
The application came after it emerged that international giant Sumitomo Electric Industries was looking to build such a plant in the Highlands.
And, although official confirmation that the two sites are one and the same has been slow in coming, Global’s planning application contains documents from Sumitomo. The plant, which would occupy an area of 15 hectares – equivalent to 20 football pitches – would include the main factory (48,000 m2), vertical cabling (2208 m2), warehousing (3200 m2), shipping equipment store (1040 m2), shielding room (1200 m2), offices (1280 m2), as well as external storage of finished cables, access and parking.
Related: Global Energy's Nigg base earmarked for Sumitomo Electric Industries' gigantic subsea cable factory
The tallest building is expected to stand up to 44 metres high, which the application has acknowledged will be “out of scale with the existing environment,” and is something that may trigger possible objections.
But if it does go ahead, the factory is expected to play a major role within the offshore wind sector. And Mr Stone has likened such investment to the Highland oil boom of the 1970s, adding that he hopes it will provide a sustainable long-term boost to the region’s economy for future generations to enjoy. He said: “This is great news – and fits in very nicely with the decision that the Cromarty Firth will be one of Scotland’s two green freeports.
“Offshore wind generation is part of the way ahead for meeting the UK’s energy requirements – and subsea cables are all part of this.
“I belong to a generation that lived locally in the Highlands, I married and brought up my children here – precisely because of the employment opportunities provided by North Sea oil – this subsea cable manufacturing plan in turn represents great opportunities for today’s and tomorrow’s future generations of young local people.”
Business figures are also bullish about the possible factory’s potential.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise’s (HIE) chief executive Stuart Black said: “Sumitomo’s announcement confirms that the Highlands and Islands is recognised as a true global player in the renewable energy sector.
“We look forward to continuing positive discussions with the company and our partners in government to secure this potential investment for Scotland.”
