Posted on September 27, 2023
The Port of Aberdeen’s $513 million (GBP 420 million) South Harbor expansion project has been officially opened by The Princess Royal Anne after completion.
According to a media release from the port, the project will be the catalyst for a multi-billion pound economic and jobs boost for Scotland.
Independent analysis forecast that when the expanded Port of Aberdeen reaches its full potential the port’s gross value-added contribution will jump 60 percent to $2.9 billion (GBP 2.4 billion) and the number of jobs supported will rise by 45 percent to an incredible 17,500, according to the port.
“As the largest new marine infrastructure project in the UK, Port of Aberdeen’s South Harbour will have a huge positive impact on the North East of Scotland and will be a national asset of strategic significance to Scotland,” Deputy First Minister Shona Robison said.
“The Port of Aberdeen is at the forefront of the vital transition to net zero. It will be key to helping pivot our economy towards new decarbonized technologies and fuels, not least in facilitating the growth in offshore wind and developing tidal wave research,” Robison said.
The port said its continued commitment to supporting those most in need was highlighted at the launch event with $36,600 (GBP 30,000) of funding awarded to local charities and community group projects, such as Aberdeen Cyrenians, Aberdeen Science Centre and Befriend a Child. This takes the port’s charitable donations through its supPORT-all community action program in 2023 to $85,500 (GBP 70,000), it said.
The Port of Aberdeen said that the new harbor has already generated more than $3.6 million (GBP 3 million) of revenue during its phased opening and is attracting vessels and projects that would have previously sailed past the city, often destined for a European port.
With Aberdeen South Harbour complete, the Port of Aberdeen is now the largest berthage port in Scotland, according to the media release. The new facility, next to the Energy Transition Zone, can accommodate vessels up to 985 feet (300 meters) in length and offers an additional 0.9 miles (1.5 kilometers) of deepwater berths, a maximum depth of 49 feet (15 meters), 1,345,488 square feet (125,000 square meters) of flexible project areas and significant heavy lift capacity.
The expansion project was significantly self-funded by the port with valuable support from the European Investment Bank, the Scottish National Investment Bank, Scottish Enterprise and the Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council through the Aberdeen City Region Deal, the port said.
