When I started this campaign to bring decommissioning jobs to Dundee it was the obvious industrial opportunity for our city. Other countries started early to capitalise on the evolution of the North Sea industry. I felt strongly that Dundee, having missed out of industry over the last 40 years, now had a chance to be at the races on this too.
I was heartened when earlier this month the councils responded to calls to publish the Tay Cities Deal bid which at last puts decommissioning and an industrial plan for Dundee at its heart.
Overall the bid predicts that 15,000 jobs will be created as a result of its initiatives, with more than half of these – 7,700 – coming from decommissioning and its supply chain.
The bid estimates that the decommissioning industry locally will require capital investment of £310 million.
Dundeecom is the new private-sector-led body charged with capturing decommissioning work for our region.
Decommissioning is such an obvious industrial and employment opportunity for Dundee and one that fits our city perfectly. The challenge is now making sure that it happens.
The only real success in this plan will be when Dundee decommissioning workers open their first pay packets. We can have any number of documents, bids and proposals, but the litmus test for all this is simply jobs. Only then will we feel the economic benefit.
On a recent visit to the port of Dundee, Forth Ports chief executive Charles Hammond took me through its ambitious plans to secure decommissioning work.
UK taxpayers have already paid for this work to be done. The Treasury will give tax relief on decommissioning work up to three-quarters of its cost. Having paid for these jobs already, can we be satisfied with them sailing past Dundee, Scotland and the UK on to Norway, Holland and Turkey? That’s why we need all levels of government to back Dundeecom.
The First Minister this month announced a fund of £5 million to support companies involved in decommissioning. I asked Nicola Sturgeon if she would ringfence at least half of that Scottish fund for Dundee. It seems to me that if the Scottish Government is serious about jobs for Dundee and creating a centre of excellence in decommissioning that the Tay Cities bid outlines, then they must put their money where their mouth is. Although £5 million is a drop in the ocean as trade union leader Gary Smith said compared to the £310 million capital investment that is required.
So far, commitment to Dundee has all been in proposals but no hard committed public cash, unlike Aberdeen. Although industry led, public investment is crucial. The Norwegians know this and Forth Ports themselves have said the same.
The 750 renewables jobs did not materialise in Dundee. That is why we cannot rest on our laurels in this flurry of activity these past couple of weeks. The private sector has come together with the council through Dundeecom, with words of support from each government. We are in a good place, but the work to create the decommissioning work starts now.
Jenny Marra is the Scottish Labour MSP for North-east Scotland. This piece was written for Energy Voice’s sister publication the Dundee Courier. Read more from the Dundee Courier here. Read more about Dundee’s bid for decom here.
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