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MSP for the Highlands and Islands Emma Roddick said that a £50 million investment awarded to the Ardersier Port from the Scottish National Investment Bank will benefit the whole community.
The SNP representative has claimed that the Inner Moray Firth, local industry, and Scotland’s national climate ambitions will all see the positives from the ongoing work at the port, which she visited late last year.
Ms Roddick said: “It was heartening to hear that the Scottish National Investment Bank has confidence in both the Ardersier Port and the Highlands as a whole, recognising the huge importance and potential we have here.
“This investment will benefit the entire community, creating hundreds of jobs and further reskilling opportunities for the local area.
“As we move towards reaching our net zero goals, Adersier will play a key role in building confidence in investing in the Highlands, and I look forward to seeing where this new investment takes us.”
On May 20, Ms Roddick lodged a question to the Scottish Government asking how the Scottish National Investment Bank’s investment would benefit the local area, industry, and its climate goals.
A Scottish Government spokesperson replied: “The Scottish National Investment Bank has invested £50 million in Ardersier Port alongside a similar £50 million investment from the UK Infrastructure Bank.
“This investment follows a £300 million capital commitment from Quantum Capital – the largest private sector port investment for offshore wind to date. The project aligns with the Bank’s net zero mission.
“As a result, Ardersier Port is expected to become of strategic importance in supporting the growing offshore wind industry over the coming years. Once operational, the facility will significantly increase the offshore wind port capacity, to support the transition to net zero in Scotland and the UK.”
It continued saying that the initiative, one of the largest industrial regeneration projects in the Highlands in decades, will re-establish the port as a major local employer, supporting and creating hundreds of jobs.
At full capacity it is estimated that the site has potential to enable around 3,000 jobs and reskilling opportunities for the local area.
