Invergordon-based Sarens PSG has finished building the quay walls Ardersier Port which is subject to a major redevelopment by Haventus.
Bauer Technologies, which received the multi-million pound quay wall contract earlier this year, brought in Sarens PSG to support the work.
Sarens PSG deployed a fleet of eight crawler cranes along with 24 specialists to install the front quay and rear anchor walls.
The group spent six months helping build the 2,165-foot (660m) concrete diaphragm wall using an array of cranes ranging from 100 to 400 tonnes, specially adapted for port development.
The front quay wall is up to 137 feet (42m) deep and 4 feet to 5 feet (1.2m-1.5m) thick, and parallel to a rear anchor wall that is up to 88 feet (27m) deep and 3 feet (1m) wide.
Sarens PSG has invested £12 million in equipment and technology to meet growing demands in green energy. Belgian heavy lift specialist Sarens joined forces with PSG Marine & Logistics Ltd in a joint venture two years ago.
Sarens PSG managing director Steve Clark said: “This is a world-class facility under development. What sets it apart is the vast expanse of land behind the quayside, which offers unparalleled potential for large-scale assembly, manufacturing, storage and deployment. This will support both the ScotWind and INTOG build-out and will rival any existing or planned facility in the UK.”
“We’re proud to partner with Bauer Technologies on this landmark project. Our team has been fully committed to upholding the highest standards of safety, efficiency, and reliability, ensuring that the Haventus site is ready to meet the demands of the offshore wind sector in the coming years.”
Haventus’ Ardersier energy transition facility is scheduled for completion in 2025.
Based in the north-east of Scotland near the mouth of the Moray Firth, the port is close to several offshore wind farms, including the operating Beatrice and Moray East, the under-construction Moray West and in development Caledonia.
Sarens PSG was also involved in marshalling Moray West’s 62 monopile foundations, the largest ever handled in the UK at approximately 2,000 tonnes.
The Ardersier energy transition facility is the largest brownfield port development site in the UK, with the potential to create hundreds of new jobs.
The work commenced after Haventus was awarded a £100m joint credit facility from the Scottish National Investment Bank and UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) to help redevelop the port.
The project was also backed by a £300m capital commitment by US private equity firm, Quantum Capital Group in 2023.
The development is part of the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport (ICFGF), allowing the Ardersier Port to benefit from the area’s tax incentives.
The port was originally used in the 70s and 80s for the construction of oil and gas platforms and last year saw investment to make it a leading wind manufacturing site. The original facility closed its doors in 2001.
Bauer Technologies managing directors Paul Doyle and John Theos commented: “The redevelopment of Ardersier energy transition facility is a landmark project both in scale and in its approach to ensuring sustainability.”