The desolate Guardbridge paper mill site will be given a new lease of life thanks to a proposed £25m investment, which owners St Andrews University predict could create or attract 100 jobs.
Nearly two years after purchasing the mill, which has lain empty since 2008, the university has said it will move ahead with plans for green energy and knowledge exchange centres for spin-out companies, new business and prototype testing.
The university also revealed it is in discussions with a brewing company which is keen to establish a brewery at Guardbridge.
It is hoped the plans will revitalise the site and bring investment in renewable technologies and new industry to Fife.
After 18 months of preparatory work the university is seeking a specialist partner to develop the green energy centre. It will generate and distribute energy from biomass, hydro, ground source heat pumps and gas reclamation from sewage.
Some will be used to power businesses and activities on the site, while the rest will be pumped as hot water to St Andrews.
The biomass facility will use clean, renewable fuels, sourced locally.
The knowledge exchange centre would provide ”missing link” facilities to allow research and discoveries made in university labs to be translated to working prototypes.
The centre will also offer affordable accommodation to local companies.
The university predicts that a brewery on site would create up 20 jobs by 2014 and see the mill revisiting its history before it was a paper production plant, the site was the Seggie Distillery.
Other jobs will be created during construction of the energy and knowledge exchange centres, to run the centres and in the relocation of spin-out and other companies to Guardbridge.
The energy produced on site will protect university jobs and ward off the effects of rising energy prices although St Andrews has decreased its energy use, prices have continually increased.
Subject to the appointment of an energy partner and applications for planning permission, it is expected work could begin in 2013 with the centres operational by 2014.
University quaestor and factor Derek Watson said: ”Guardbridge represents a major strategic step for the university. We will consult closely with the community as our plans take shape.”
Plans also include:
Safeguarding the Fife Ranger Service bird hide. Developing land south of the main site for commercial uses. There are no plans for student accommodation. A new community resource for Guardbridge.