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Dundee Harbour ‘very busy’ despite renewables delay, says Forth Ports chief

Mr Hammond says Dundee is 'busier than ever' supporting the oil and gas industry.
Mr Hammond says Dundee is 'busier than ever' supporting the oil and gas industry.

Dundee Harbour is a hive of industrial activity supporting up to 1,000 jobs, its chief executive has told The Courier.

Rejecting any suggestion the port is a derelict wasteland waiting for the renewables industry to arrive, Charles Hammond of Forth Ports said: “We are not just standing still waiting for things to happen.”

He was speaking following the controversy over the Memorandum of Understanding major jobs boost backed by First Minister Alex Salmond promised to the city in 2011.

The agreement has not delivered a single post, and the lack of any renewables investment provoked a row between Labour and Scottish Nationalist politicians.

Labour’s UK leader Ed Miliband entered the fray during a visit to the city by blaming Mr Salmond for the promise not being fulfilled, but Dundee SNP leader Ken Guild said the fault lay with Westminster for the slow progress of the Electricity Market Reform Bill.

Although unwilling to enter the political spat, Mr Hammond said: “The renewables market is taking longer to come to fruition because of uncertainty over the electricity market and the challenges of building a supply chain, but this is not surprising with new markets.

“But with the 120 acres of land and facilities we have at the port of Dundee we are not just standing still waiting for things to happen.

“We are very busy with activity from the North Sea oil and gas industry and probably busier than we have ever been at Dundee.

“Every time there is a rig in port for maintenance or fabrication work in Dundee which happens often there are about 400 jobs per shift on site.

“There are fabrication facilities in Dundee worth £3.5 million which are supporting jobs and apprenticeships, and there are major companies like Rigmar and PD&MS providing these jobs.

“Forth Ports have a £1 million decommissioning facility at Dundee where rigs are stripped down and their components recycled, and this is a major part of the oil and gas industry.

“Dundee has also been a base for the distribution of turbine parts which are shipped in.”

Mr Hammond said Dundee is playing a major role in the North Sea oil and gas industry support and servicing market, and this is a good news story for the city and its economy.

He continued: “The jobs and skills that Dundee has in this market will be transferable to the renewables market when that comes along.

“Jobs are happening at Dundee port now probably between 800 and 1,000 with all the activities rolled in, and everything is set for this to continue.

“Really positive things are happening at Dundee and the port is a good news story.

“The port is not a derelict wasteland waiting for something to happen in the renewables market.”