Plans for a Forth Green Freeport that could attract £6 billion of investment in Scotland have been backed by Fife Chamber of Commerce.
The group has declared its support for the project alongside its Edinburgh and Forth Valley counterparts.
Together, the three chambers of commerce represent 1,500 businesses.
The three chamber leaders sent joint letters to the UK and Scottish governments describing the bid as Scotland’s best opportunity to deliver a just transition to net zero, attract £6 billion of inward investment and build significant international trade and export capacity.
The Forth Green Freeport bid proposes specific tax and customs sites – including in Fife.
The chambers highlighted the bid’s vision to create:
- 50,000 high-quality, green jobs in areas of local deprivation.
- 100 hectares of SME-dedicated development land to support new research and development capabilities and green incubator space to drive Scottish start-up business growth.
- Scotland’s largest offshore wind marshalling and manufacturing hub across sites at Leith, Rosyth and Burntisland, rivalling anything in northern Europe.
- New freight, rail and alternative fuel terminals.
- A development footprint to support emerging industries, including advanced modular systems, biofuels, hydrogen and carbon capture and storage.
Forth Green Freeport backed by Fife Chamber
Fife Chamber of Commerce chief executive Alan Mitchell said: “By 2030 the ScotWind revolution has the potential to create up to £30 billion in additional investment and revenue from the North Sea.
“The Forth Green Freeport will dramatically drive up UK-produced manufactured content by enhancing strategic sites along the Forth Estuary to ensure that the skills base and innovation assets anchor as many as possible of the 25,000 new offshore wind jobs locally.
“The green skills initiatives are a key component in the delivery cycle and will support SMEs to grow their role in complex supply chains and attract new people to tomorrow’s green growth industries.”
Led by Forth Ports, the bid consortium comprises private and public organisations including Babcock, Edinburgh Airport, Ineos, Scarborough Muir Group, Falkirk Council, Fife Council and the City of Edinburgh Council.
The bid was submitted to the UK and Scottish governments for assessment on June 20.
It seeks to re-industrialise Scotland, create large-scale economic development, boost local supply chain growth and create a world-class manufacturing cluster.
A bid for Dundee to become a green port is led by Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc instead of the port itself.
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