FIRST Minister Alex Salmond welcomed the sale of Nigg to Global Energy Group yesterday and also announced nearly £2million of support towards refitting the yard.
He said at the site: “Scotland has huge natural resources and a wealth of expertise in offshore engineering.
“Global Energy Group’s purchase of the Nigg yard provides an unprecedented opportunity to harness both of these and help build a new renewables industry with the potential to re-industrialise communities across Scotland.
“Nigg is an excellent location for offshore oil and gas and renewables manufacturing. The scale and water depth here are ideal for fabrication and maintenance of the great electricity devices that will power the economies of the future.
“The sale of the site is something that has been long awaited and I am pleased it has been secured by an ambitious Scottish company with a strong . . . business and a big vision for the future.”
Mr Salmond announced £1.8million of support towards the near-£10million being spent on refitting the yard. He said: “I am pleased to announce public investment of £1.8million to help support the transformation of the Nigg yard into an important renewables hub.
“This support delivered by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) will help turn Nigg from a site that has lain largely dormant for a decade into a major manufacturer of green-energy machinery.
“The Scottish Government is determined to do all we can to promote the low-carbon economy that is key to our nation’s future and the transformation of the Nigg yard will play an important part in that in the years to come.”
HIE chief executive Alex Paterson said the north was central to delivering the enormous benefits to Scotland from the emerging renewables industry.
He added: “Its growth could provide 40,000 energy jobs across Scotland in the next decade. To capture the very real manufacturing and installation opportunities it is critical we have the ports and harbours infrastructure in place to meet the needs of offshore developers.
“Nigg has long been a jewel in the crown of Scotland’s offshore fabrication facilities, as identified through the national renewables infrastructure plan (NRIP). Its huge potential is now unlocked by the purchase of the site by one of Scotland’s fastest-growing businesses.
“HIE’s investment towards the subsequent development of the site accelerates Nigg’s potential to meet the real and immediate needs of oil and gas, offshore wind and wave and tidal developers.
“This is HIE’s third major investment in NRIP sites across the Highlands and islands in the past 18 months. Investments have taken place at Machrihanish, at the Arnish yard at Stornoway, and now Nigg. In addition HIE is supporting the major new harbour infrastructure at Scrabster. We are working with our ambitious energy companies to make sure that the infrastructure and supply chain are ready for this once-in-a-generation opportunity.”