Statement from The Highland Council Leader following Cromarty Firth Green Freeport Announcement

Photograph © Callum Mackay/Highland News & Media

Photograph © Callum Mackay/Highland News & Media

Leader of The Highland Council, Raymond Bremner has welcomed the announcement that Cromarty Firth has been chosen as one of the UK’s new Green Freeports.

He said: “This is fantastic news which heralds a very bright future for the Highlands. We are well positioned, primed and ready to play a key role in delivering the UK’s Energy Security Strategy and become a global centre of renewable energy.

“The freeport status and ensuing developments have real potential to reverse the long standing socio-economic issues facing the region. This incredible opportunity will assist us in addressing the local and national transition to net zero, help to create sustainable high-quality jobs in a green economy, while regenerating and strengthening communities and reversing depopulation.”

More information can be found at: https://opportunitycromartyfirth.co.uk/

Photo of mtg with prime Minister

Copyright of No 10 events team – Council Leader, Cllr Raymond Bremner in meeting with the Prime Minister following his announcement on the success of the Opportunity Cromarty Firth Bid.

 

Statement from OCF:

Opportunity Cromarty Firth delighted as Green Freeport Status awarded to the Highlands

Opportunity Cromarty Firth (OCF) is delighted to have been awarded Green Freeport status in a highly competitive bidding process involving five areas of Scotland. It will bring jobs and business opportunities to the Highlands on a scale not seen since the arrival of North Sea oil and gas in the 1970s.

Green Freeport status presents the opportunity to turn Inverness and the Cromarty Firth into a focal point for a thriving, sustainable, homegrown renewables industry able to transform the nation into a net zero economy, become a global exporter of clean energy, technology and expertise, and make a significant contribution to UK energy security.

It will allow us to harness our resources to compete on a level playing field with other parts of the UK, ensure the establishment of new manufacturing facilities, and attract fresh, sizeable investment to the Highlands.

The benefits of a Green Freeport centred on Inverness and the Cromarty Firth will be shared across Scotland and the UK, creating an estimated 25,000 jobs.

We are delighted that the Scottish and UK governments have listened to industry, which has strongly supported the OCF bid.

The successful bid is the culmination of two years hard work and dedication from everyone at OCF who uniquely brought 30 regional businesses – including Port of Cromarty Firth, Global Energy Group, Port of Inverness, Highlands and Islands Airports, renewable energy giants and developers, public sector organisations, and academic bodies, The Highland Council and University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) – to work together for the first time.

OCF would like to thank the MPs, MSPs, Highland councillors, leading industry bodies and offshore wind and hydrogen developers who threw their support behind our bid.

The Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport is very much looking forward to working with our partners including the Scottish and UK Governments to ensure we realise the full benefits of this clean energy revolution, which is expected to create a 50-year pipeline of work and high-quality jobs.

Today marks the beginning of a whole new chapter for clean energy, for net zero, for jobs, for our economy, for the Highlands and for Scotland.

 

13 Jan 2023