Massive multimillion-pound high voltage cable plant at Nigg could create 150-plus jobs
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MORE than 150 highly skilled engineering jobs will be created at an Easter Ross site following a £200 million investment if proposals for a massive new manufacturing plant get the go-ahead.
Planning proposals for a high voltage cable manufacturing plant targetting the renewables industry on a 15-hectare site have been lodged with Highland Council.
Global Energy Group Nigg Ltd has teamed up with Osaka-based Sumitomo Electric Industries UK Cables Ltd and Highland Council planners now have hundreds of documents to sift for a project which has already attracted significant political support.
The agricultural land site on land east of Nigg Energy Park and the B9175 road is 500m north of the former welding school site. The site is agricultural land.
In a separate development, as previously reported, Associated British Ports is scoping the potential of up to £500m of investment in the Nigg and Pitcalzean area for infrastructure to support the burgeoning offshore wind industry.
Landowners in the area notified about the latest Global proposal include John Nightingale of the Wakelyn Trust in Kent, Robert Mackenzie of Pitcalzean Mains Farm, Nigg and The Dunskiath Property Company, Kent.
While many will be keeping a close eye on environmental impact statements lodged with the plans, supporting papers note the site is close to Nigg Energy Park, "a very busy industrial zone"which includes "very large industrial warehousing and workshop spaces and active quays which host oil rigs for refurbishment/ decommissioning".
£200m to be invested in Easter Ross cable site
It says this is a complementary facility to the proposal which will use local expertise and harbour facilities.
The applicant cites "strong policy support" for the plant, including the Cromarty Firth freeport vision "which provides the strategic rationale for supporting the establishment of the proposed development".
It says demographic trends suggest Easter Ross requires investment to attract working age people to the area and that "there is scope for new sectors such as renewables to slow the population decline".
Papers lodged state: "Overall, it is clear that the Highlands, and in particular Easter Ross is facing a number of economic challenges, and its future economic prosperity cannot be guaranteed. In the absence of new investment there is a likelihood that the area will continue to be excluded and suffer in economic terms. There is scope for new investments to attract economic activity, investment and employment opportunities for existing and prospective residents to the area."
Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd (SEI) is a major global manufacturer of electric wire and fibre optic cables. It works in a number of sectors and has 280,000 employees in more than 30 countries.
The introduction of renewable energy and interconnected national and regional lines are being promoted worldwide to achieve a decarbonised society which has accelerated the market demand for power cables.
The UK is expected to be one of the largest markets for high voltage power cables to meet the growth in the number of offshore wind power projects to achieve the Scottish Government’s net-zero 2045 targets.
The main plant is to be housed in large single building with two floors with a footprint of 43,145m2.This building ranges in height from 17.36m at the south end to 32.26m at the north end.
Supporting documents anticipate that the development will create around 156 full-time highly skilled manufacturing jobs, including 31 administrative staff.
They play down the potential impact on local tourism developments because of the distance involved.
Papers can be viewed on Highland Council's ePlanning web portal.
