The UK government has announced a £55m ($70m) grant for the expansion of Port of Cromarty Firth in Scotland, to establish it as a hub for the UK’s floating offshore wind industry.
Offshore wind projects are vital to the UK’s goal of clean power by 2030. The country already hosts the largest grid-connected floating offshore wind farm globally, with a further 30GW in development.
Provided through the Floating Offshore Wind Manufacturing Investment Scheme (FLOWMIS), the investment will help in enhancing port infrastructure for the deployment of floating offshore wind.
Port of Cromarty Firth is one of two ports selected for funding, with plans for the second port, Port Talbot, underway.
The investment will enable the Port of Cromarty Firth to attract additional match-funding from other investors.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks stated: “Communities in Scotland and across the country should be powered by reliable, home-grown, clean energy from British coastlines – this is how we reduce our reliance on unstable fossil fuel markets and bring down energy bills for good.
“That’s why the government is getting on with building the infrastructure needed to roll out clean energy quickly, creating skilled jobs in local communities and driving growth – the priority in our Plan for Change.
“The UK is already a world leader in floating offshore wind, but this support for Cromarty Firth will take us even further – creating hundreds of jobs in Scotland and delivering energy security for the UK.”
The expanded port is expected to become operational by early 2028.
The expansion will make the Port of Cromarty Firth the first UK port to manufacture floating offshore wind turbines on-site and at scale.
It will support up to 1,000 skilled jobs in construction, installation and operational support for offshore wind.
Port of Cromarty Firth chief executive Alex Campbell stated: “The port is delighted that FLOWMIS funding has been secured for our ambitious Phase 5 expansion, which is a critical step towards creating the UK’s first custom-built floating offshore wind integration port.
“We believe this confirmation by the UK government shows the faith in our Trust Port status to deliver jobs and economic growth locally and nationally, and that the certainty from this announcement will unlock further investment in other ports across the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport to boost their complementary plans.”
In February 2025, the UK government announced the Clean Industry Bonus to incentivise offshore wind developers to invest in cleaner supply chains and boost industrial community jobs.
