Peterhead Port Authority’s new all-weather deepwater Smith Embankment quay has opened for business - on time and within budget.
The £33.5 million (€38.1 million/$53.7 million) project, which includes a new 200-metre berth and 16,000 square metres of work area, will create up to 60 full-time jobs and contribute an estimated £12 million (€13.7 million/$19.2 million) a year to the local economy.
Work on Smith Embankment began 18 months ago after Peterhead Port Authority secured £5 million (€5.7 million/$8 million) from the Scottish government and European Fisheries Fund and has involved extensive land reclamation and dredging to achieve a water depth of 10 metres.
The Port Authority is confident that the new facility will not only meet the demands of the pelagic fleet and reinforce Peterhead’s position as the UK’s premier fishing port but also attract new business from the offshore and renewable energy sectors.
Smith Embankment’s 10-metre depth and impressive heavylift capabilities are also expected to attract business from the growing oil and gas decommissioning sector. Lifts of up to 500 tonnes are possible from the quay’s heavy lift pad, while modules of up to 2,500 tonnes can be skidded ashore.
A high-capacity electrical connection point allows vessels to connect to a 350Kva supply and turn off their main engines, so saving on fuel costs and reducing emissions.
Peterhead Port Authority is confident this latest expansion will lead to a 20% increase in turnover by the end of 2012. The authority recorded a £7.2 million (€8.2 million/$11.5 million) turnover for its last financial year ending 31 December 2009.
Authority chief executive John Wallace said Smith Embankment represents a state-of-the-art facility for the pelagic fishing industry and commercial interests. “The deepwater, all-weather berths with supporting infrastructure elevates Peterhead to a prime position to capitalise on the opportunities that lie ahead.”
