The Angus maritime gateway, Montrose, is in the throes of an overhaul that is progressively creating a port for the 21st century.
The ports authority, led by chief executive John Paterson, is currently spending £8million on rebuilding quaysides, but much more investment is in the pipeline, so long as full alignment between various stakeholders can been achieved.
A decade ago, Montrose was looking decidedly shaky, having suffered the collapse of two of its berths at the south quay with, at that time, no prospect of restoration.
That was 2003. In 2006, Paterson joined as chief executive and made various changes rapidly to enable the port to become more profitable, thereby gaining the ability to borrow and to consider reconstructing the collapsed berths.
At that time the local farmers’ co-operative took up a site adjacent to those berths for a grain terminal, which helped provide leverage for reconstruction, together with revenues.
However, oil and gas traffic was at a low ebb, despite the North Sea industry being on the road to recovery following the late 1990s collapse.
“Those berths were eventually rebuilt (cost £8million), with their completion in 2011 coinciding with a recovery in oil and gas traffic; so much so that ports like Aberdeen and Peterhead had become congested,” Paterson told Energy.
But it became necessary to market the port to raise awareness in what it could offer – not just quaysides but also extensive laydown and warehousing areas of the kind needed by offshore construction vessels and anchor-handlers.
“They were having difficulty elsewhere in securing the onshore facilities they required for mobilising equipment and systems,” said Peterson. “They need a lot of space; preferably alongside.
“We’ve created that space. Engineering companies in the area have benefited greatly from this, not just in Montrose itself but even companies in Aberdeen.
“We now have a reputation as specialists in handling mooring chains and anchors, for example, because we have space and facilities, including chain inspection specialists.”
The next step forward has been the ability to provide berths at the port’s north quay for vessels that require to tie up for extended periods.
“These are not readily available in other ports and provide a good trade for us on quays that are not currently suitable for other purposes,” said Paterson.
“It provides the port with additional revenues, plus provides much needed space for companies wishing to lay-up vessels between jobs and to carry out repairs.
“We’ve embarked on another major reconstruction using Farrans Construction of Northern Ireland, overseen by consulting engineers Arch Henderson & Partners. This is due to complete in October, with a section due for finishing this month.”
Once construction work is completed expectation is that the port will be able to cope with support vessels of up to 165m length overall and 8m draft on the deepwater berths, otherwise 7m and 5.5m depending on berth location. This covers most vessels currently working in the North Sea.
Paterson said that, because Aberdeen had widened its access channel recently, this was now on the cards for Montrose as a medium-term plan – perhaps two to three years.
“When we complete what we’re doing now, then we’ll work up a further master plan,” said Paterson. “This will include provision for offshore wind.
“We might want to build new facilities specifically for that trade and are currently researching other ports with assistance from Scottish Enterprise.
“My belief is that we’ll need to do something different from what’s happening with ports further south. In any case, none of the operators of Scottish wind projects adjacent to Montrose know what they’re going to be doing yet.
“We certainly have participation by Scottish Enterprise, Angus Council, Glaxo Smith Kline and other landowner on the north side to provide areas for developments that will create real jobs for the community.”
Watch our full interview with John Paterson below:
