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Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport (ICFGF) has opened headquarters in the Highland capital.

The offices, at the city’s Green House business centre, will be the focal point for the company’s activities as detailed plans for the new Green Freeport continue to be developed.

The ICFGF team is currently finalising an outline business case, which is due to be submitted to the Scottish and UK governments in the coming weeks.

ICFGF was established as a company earlier this year, following the announcement by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in January that Inverness and the Cromarty Firth would be the location of one of two Green Freeports in Scotland.

Calum MacPherson, Chief Executive of ICFGF, said: “Setting up a head office is another important step as we work towards the establishment of the Green Freeport.

“While our offices at the Green House are now the focal point of our activities, a great deal of work is being carried out by the companies and organisations across the area that are involved in delivering this transformational project.

“We are continuing to make steady progress, with everyone involved fully focussed on the lasting benefits it can bring to the economy of the Highlands and Scotland.”

ICFGF is backed by the Port of Cromarty Firth, Global Energy Group, Port of Inverness and Ardersier Port owners, Haventus, alongside The Highland Council, UHI and more than 30 regional, national and international businesses, public sector organisations and academic bodies.

The Port of Nigg in the Cromarty Firth, Scotland, owned and operated by Global Energy Group (GEG), has been selected by Moray West as the location for marshalling of all 62 transition pieces (TPs) prior to installation as part of the Moray West offshore wind farm.  Ocean Winds, the 50:50 joint venture between ENGIE and EDP Renewables, is developing the Moray West project. 

Moray West has signed an agreement with GEG to use the port for this scope. This is in addition to the wind turbine marshalling and pre-assembly work that Siemens Gamesa have already announced for Nigg, plus the fabrication of J-tube frames as key elements of the foundation structures. The TPs will start to arrive at the Port of Nigg later in 2023 with installation starting shortly afterwards and due for completion in 2024.

The agreement to marshal components for Moray West from the Port of Nigg continues the pipeline of offshore wind projects that have used the facility since 2016, cementing the ports position as a leading offshore renewables hub. The facility has benefitted from over £120m investment from GEG and is included in the recently awarded Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport.

Moray West Project Director, Pete Geddes, said:

“We are delighted to have signed an agreement that widens the project’s use of the Port of Nigg to include the storage and marshalling of transition pieces.  The expanded facilities at the port, together with a strong track record supporting offshore wind projects in the Moray Firth and further afield in Scotland, give us confidence in using Nigg again. 

Having suitable facilities to secure the range of work on Moray West has underlined the value of Global Energy Group’s earlier investments in the port.  Through the ‘Caledonia’ project, Ocean Winds will make significant early investments to drive the next steps necessary to build capability and capacity in Scottish ports and the wider supply chain.”

Iain Sinclair, Executive Director at Global Energy Group said:

“We are delighted the Port of Nigg has been chosen to support the Moray West project and look forward to welcoming Ocean Winds back to our facility. Having previously supported the Ocean Winds team on their Moray East project, this contract, is a great endorsement of our close working relationship, the benefits of continuity and our ability to deliver offshore wind projects of scale. I am proud of the successful track record we have built in marshalling and installation campaigns for offshore wind, totalling over 2.6GW of assets handled through the Port to date. Our team continue to proactively develop the necessary expertise and experience through close cooperation and knowledge share, with our supply chain partners positioning the port as Scotland’s offshore renewables superhub.

“Our location and expansive laydown area, coupled with heavy load bearing capacity, deep-water quayside, and on-site support services, makes the Port of Nigg the offshore wind storage and marshalling enabler of choice. We are committed to further capital investment in the development of the necessary infrastructure, facilities, and land around the site to support increases in demand that is expected in the future from the likes of our partners at Ocean Winds.”

In an historic occasion, the Port of Nigg – owned and operated by Global Energy Group – received a visit from The King on Tuesday 8th August.

The port, which is a key facility within the Inverness & Cromarty Green Freeport and renowned for its vital role in supporting the offshore energy industry, provided The King with a tour of its state-of-the art facilities and showcased the vital work being undertaken onsite.

Upon his arrival, The King was welcomed by Roy MacGregor OBE, Chairman of Global Energy Group, and His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Ross and Cromarty, Mrs. Joanie Whiteford, followed by introductions to key industry stakeholders, representatives from GEG, and officials from both the private and public sector.

Roy MacGregor OBE, expressed profound gratitude to the visit, stating, “We were honoured to welcome His Majesty to the Port of Nigg. It was a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the Port of Nigg’s achievements, the dedication of our community, and our commitment to being at the forefront of innovation and sustainability.”

During the visit, His Majesty took the opportunity to interact with the Port’s dedicated workforce, who are responsible for ensuring its seamless functionality and the delivery of critical renewable energy developments.

He was also introduced to apprentices and instructors from the Nigg Skills Academy, a “not for profit” training provider based at the Port, offering essential training in engineering, fabrication, and welding.

The King’s visit followed in the footsteps of the late Queen Elizabeth II, who previously visited Nigg in 1974, to witness the site’s development and emergence as a North Sea fabrication powerhouse.

Before leaving, The King was invited to sign the Port’s visitors’ book and unveil a plaque to commemorate the visit. He was also presented with a custom tartan scarf made by Black Isle fashion designer, Siobhan Mackenzie, and a bottle of malt whisky from Alness-based Dalmore Distillery.

His Majesty’s visit will leave a lasting impact on the Port of Nigg, fostering new connections and furthering the port’s reputation as a centre of excellence in the energy industry.

Scottish Trade and Innovation Minister Richard Lochhead this week visited the Port of Cromarty Firth (PoCF) at Invergordon.

During the visit, the minister was given a briefing on the latest progress being made in establishing the new Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport (ICFGF).

Mr Lochhead met Calum MacPherson, who on Monday took up the post of ICFGF Chief Executive, along with PoCF Chief Executive, Bob Buskie, and the organisation’s Strategic Business Development Manager, Joanne Allday.

The minister also toured facilities at the Port, where some of the XXL monopile foundations for the Moray West offshore wind farm are currently being marshalled.

Mr Lochhead said: “It was encouraging to hear more about plans for Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport.

“This aims to attract trade, develop businesses and promote regeneration, and to boost the economy in the Highlands and in Scotland more widely.

“The Green Freeport is well placed to make the most of the opportunities that come from the just transition to a net zero economy.”

Mr Buskie said: “It was a great pleasure to welcome the minister to Invergordon today and we appreciate him taking the time to come to the Port.

“His visit gave us the opportunity to show him at first hand the variety of work that is currently going on here and to discuss future developments.

“It also enabled us to fully brief him on the huge amount of activity that has been going on behind the scenes since Inverness and the Cromarty Firth was announced as the location of one of Scotland’s two new Green Freeports earlier this year.”

PoCF’s new Quay West facility is being used for marshalling for the Moray West offshore wind farm project.

Pete Geddes, Project Director for the Moray West offshore wind farm, said: “We’ve been delighted to welcome Richard Lochhead MSP to our monopile marshalling site at Invergordon port.  

“We were able to convey the sheer scale of the foundations by getting up close, with 16 of the total of 62 having been safely unloaded at the port.

“The investment in the port has been supported by our earlier project, Moray East, and now Moray West. We look forward to successfully installing the monopiles from Invergordon, benefitting from the new laydown area and deep-water quayside.  

“Having worked with Scottish Government agencies to facilitate the port expansion we remain engaged with government to ensure future offshore wind projects, including the Ocean Winds projects, can be delivered promptly and expand the benefits for Scotland including further ports expansion.”

Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport (ICFGF) today announced that it has appointed Calum MacPherson as its CEO.

An established leader, Calum was born in Inverness and finished his schooling at Charleston Academy before studying Law at Aberdeen University. After graduating Calum worked in a tax practise in Aberdeen focused primarily on clients in the oil & gas sector.

Calum returned to his native Highlands in Nov 1999 and worked for 12 years in economic development with development agency Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE), latterly holding a group wide senior role as Head of Operations then finally as Area Manager for the Moray region where he led a range of business, infrastructure, and community development initiatives.

In 2010 whilst with HIE Calum was appointed joint Chair of the Moray Task Force which promoted the case for retention of defence jobs in the region and helped support local communities. By working closely with partners, the task force was ultimately successful in retaining thousands of defence jobs for the north of Scotland.

In 2011 he joined national infrastructure business Robertson Group which is one of the UK’s largest family-owned infrastructure businesses; Recently Calum has been in a UK wide role leading the Robertson Capital Project business.

Calum lives near Beauly with his wife and two children, and he has watched with interest as the Green Freeport opportunity has developed thus far.
Commenting on the appointment ICFGF Chair, Jim Smith, said:

“As you would expect, the recruitment for a Chief Executive for ICFGF was an extensive selection process. We needed someone with the skillset and background to be able to hit the ground running.

“We are delighted to have attracted an individual of the calibre and experience that Calum brings. His knowledge will be a significant advantage allowing the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport to deliver on the ambitions outlined in our Green Freeport bid on job creation, inward investment, and decarbonisation.”

The newly appointed Chief Executive said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to lead an organisation that will play a central role in creating exciting careers for people across the Highlands and further afield, attracting large-scale international investment and playing a central role in delivering net zero; and putting Inverness and the Cromarty Firth firmly on the renewables map globally.

“I am honoured to be leading ICF Green Freeport Ltd as we move to the next phase of development. As a region we need to do all we can to capitalise on this window of opportunity, and by close working with consortium partners and stakeholders I’m confident we’ll be in a strong position to secure investment and new high-quality jobs.
ICFGF has the potential to be a really transformative story for local communities in the Highlands and beyond and I look forward to getting started.”

Calum, who is the currently Director of Capital Projects for Robertson Group, will take up the reins at ICFGF in August.