(Image: Jeff J Mitchell)
Investment in offshore wind could be undermined by constraints on Scottish ports, a new report has warned, holding back skilled job creation in coastal communities.
Research carried out by Roadnight Taylor and commissioned by Scottish Renewables drew on confidential interviews with representatives of 12 Scottish ports and harbours, supplemented by publicly available information.
In total Scotland has more than 200 ports and harbours around the coastline, more than 60% of the total for the whole of the UK, and 11 'major' ports as defined by Crown Estate Scotland.
The report, entitled Port Power - Electricity Demand in Scotland, found the power requirements for ports are changing as they support offshore wind manufacturing and assembly, industrial electrification and maritime decarbonisation.
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The maritime gateways have committed significant investment in a bid to attract clean energy projects, including maintenance, manufacturing and assembly.
It was announced last month that a factory which will make components for offshore wind turbines will be created at the Port of Montrose, which will also be the operations base for the Berwick Bank B offshore wind farm.
The former will be funded by a £5m investment from engineering firm Subsea Micropiles with a further £6.7m to be provided by the Scottish National Investment Bank and £1.45m from Scottish Enterprise.
However, the report warns that such investments could be undermined by grid constraints, planning delays and the cost of electricity.
An example given was developing a port to support clean energy, which could be done by 2030, but the electricity network will not be in a position to facilitate all needs discussed within that timeframe.
The report also warned against treating ports as one single entity.
One given port may look to increase electricity supply incrementally for buildings, electric vehicles, lighting and plant, potentially transitioning from a low voltage to 11 kV supply.
However, another may be looking to attract large-scale manufacturing or carbon capture, and would need to be able to offer connection to the network with a peak demand of around 1GW.
In addition, securing permission for projects and grid connections can also prove difficult.
A port is reliant on the infrastructure which already exists in its environs, while future power demand often depends on investment projects that haven't been confirmed yet.
On the other side, planners and grid operators increasingly want solid evidence that projects are real before approving major infrastructure.
The report recommends coordinated action across strategic planning, network investment, connections and wider energy policy.
It calls for grid consent and connection to be speeded up by setting clearer application routes, cutting avoidable delays in decisions and improving access to demand queue data and guidance.
Ports should also be embedded in strategic energy planning, and inform Strategic Spatial Energy Planning and Regional Energy Strategic Planning of requirements.
It should also ensure connection reforms account for ports’ need to secure credible electricity capacity before tenants and finance are confirmed.
Angela Hepworth, CEO of Scottish Renewables, said: "Scotland’s ports and harbours have already invested substantially in the infrastructure and capability needed to deliver our offshore wind potential. Consenting delays now risk holding back manufacturing investment and skilled jobs in coastal communities.
"Ports need secure electricity capacity to attract manufacturers and build on investment already made. National and regional energy plans must accelerate grid consents, coordinate network investment and provide greater certainty on connections.
"Getting this right will help ports secure new industrial investment and expand shore power, helping to reduce emissions and improve local air quality. Government and industry partners must move quickly to give Scotland’s ports the power they need to seize this generational opportunity."
Kyle Murchie, Specialist Connections Engineer at Roadnight Taylor, added: "Many of Scotland's ports have ambitions that rely, in large part, on something less visible than traditional quaysides and cranes. That’s access to electricity. His Majesty The King's recent visit to Peterhead Port drawn welcome attention to the role ports can play in Scotland's energy future, at a time when the connections landscape is evolving rapidly and securing new capacity can be challenging.
"What struck us most was that no two of the 12 ports and harbours we spoke with shared the same needs. Some were seeking modest increases for existing operations, while others were planning for projects that could require a step change in capacity. Many of those ambitions centre on 2030, yet with a change in the connections landscape the time to power is uncertain and complex. Many ambitions are also central to the delivery of other new energy projects, hence ports are central to the green economy.
"We're grateful to Scottish Renewables for the opportunity to carry out this research, and to the ports and harbours who shared their plans with us so openly. We hope this evidence might just help ports, other stakeholders, network companies, government and regulators plan next steps together."