The four ports involved in the agreement with HIE are now working to secure tenants for their facilities.
Port of Ardersier plan to submit planning applications to Highland Council, Transport Scotland and Marine Scotland to secure consent as an offshore wind manufacturing port as the site’s current consent relates to oil and gas only.
It is hoped to secure consent by the autumn and be ready for business by early 2014.
Port of Ardersier chief executive Captain Stephen Gobbi said: “There are few other locations in the UK, or indeed Europe, which can offer this quality and quantity of vacant land, a 1,000 metre (1,093 yards) deepwater quay and proximity to major offshore wind development zones.
“It complements other sites in Scotland and offers offshore wind developers and manufacturers the opportunity to site their operations close to the first-generation deep-water sites at Beatrice and Moray Firth.
Alasdair Ferguson, a director of Kishorn Port, said that they also hoped to lodge a masterplan with Highland Council within the next three months.
At Invergordon, Captain Ken Gray, of Cromarty Firth Port Authority, said: “CFPA has an exciting development project planned for Invergordon, which will play a key role in the offshore energy sector, supporting the Beatrice and Moray windfarms, which are to be established in the outer Moray Firth. It is proposed to have this development operational by early 2015.”
Global Energy said it was too early to say how many people could be employed in offshore energy at their Nigg facility.
Highlands and Islands Labour MSP and shadow minister for energy Rhoda Grant said: “This is great news for the port owners involved and Scottish businesses in the renewables supply chain. HIE’s backing will undoubtedly prove to be pivotal to the renewables industry in the Highlands and should help to secure inward investment and more importantly create employment in the port areas and beyond.”
She added that transport links to Kishorn needed to be improved and called on the Scottish Government to resolve ongoing issues at Stromeferry.
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