The offshore wind farm industry may not provide the jobs bonanza first expected at north east ports.
A consortium led by Scottish and Southern Electricity has ditched its proposal for a 140-turbine windfarm at Bell Rock, which was nearest to Montrose.
Now, the Inch Cape development of 180 turbines planned for the wider Tay Estuary is under threat after a major electricity firm pulled out of involvement in the project.
The loss of both these fields would leave only the planned Neart na Gaoithe wind farm, off Fife Ness, within striking distance of the ports at Dundee and Montrose.
Montrose Port Authority remains optimistic that the green energy boom will still offer significant job opportunities and economic benefits for the Angus economy.
It is continuing with investment plans that will put it in a position to grab a share of offshore business, most probably through servicing and maintenance.
Port authority chief executive John Paterson said Montrose and the wider Angus economy was still well placed to benefit from the opportunities created by the North Sea renewables industry.
“We are having meaningful discussions with companies expected to be involved in offshore developments,” he said.
Montrose harbour may not be big enough for the size of ships needed to handle major components such as turbines and blades but opportunities remain for a port that could handle smaller components and be involved in servicing and maintenance contracts.
Work started recently on an £8 million contract to build two deep-water berths and an Angus Council-commissioned study into how best to regenerate the south end of the town, which includes the harbour area, will take into account the possible requirement for new facilities such as stores, workshops and offices to service the offshore industry.
“We are discussing with potential manufacturers and developers our ability to provide for them. We are gearing ourselves up but it is difficult to establish what the requirement of the developers will be when they do not know themselves,” said Mr Paterson.
On a visit to Montrose, the Scottish minister with responsibility for ports, Stewart Stevenson, commended Montrose for its forward-thinking approach towards the modernisation and development of assets to ensure it could compete in emerging markets.
Councillor Bob Myles, leader of Angus Council, believes the renewables sector offers “vast opportunities” for economic regeneration and the county was determined that it would grab its share.
“Onshore wind farms have an average lifespan of 15 to 20 years and I would hope that offshore ones would be longer because the technology might have improved,” he said.
“They are there on a long-term basis. There is huge potential there,” added Mr Myles.
The Courier will be publishing a series of articles exploring the possibilities presented by renewable energy. As always, we welcome your opinions. Please comment below, email letters@thecourier.co.uk or write to The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee. DD4 8SL.