Preliminary works have begun for a deep water quay on the coast of Orkney. The contract has been awarded for the £200m marine structure construction project.
Preliminary works have commenced for a new deep water quay on the coastline of Orkney, between Kirkwall and Holm. The contract has been awarded for the £200m marine structure construction project, and Orkney island Council reports that groundwork investigations are due to get underway in April.
The Pre-Construction Services Agreement (PCSA) was awarded to Spanish firm ACCIONA, in joint venture with UK based Jones Bros. The site will be known as the Scapa Deep Water Quay, and it will be designed to support the expansion of wind farms off the coast of Scotland and mainland Europe.
New Civil Engineer reports that the site has unique characteristics that make it well suited to the purpose, as it lies in sheltered waters within a large (320km2 ) natural harbour. This will facilitate the safe wet storage of floating turbines. The quay will have depths of varying degrees, from 15 metres to 20 metres at sub-sea level.
The PCSA will involve a series of works, including a detailed design, and site surveys and ground and marine investigation works. The final approval of the project will depend on the results of these investigations.
£5 million of the total £7.2m cost of the preliminary works was provided in a funding announcement from the Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The project is in line with the Scottish government’s wider Offshore Energy Development Strategy.
Oliver Reid, the Chief Executive of Orkney Islands Council, said: “The Pre-Construction Services Agreement (PCSA) is a critical component of the procurement process for a major construction project. The key outputs of this piece of work will be detailed planning, cost control, and risk management.”
He added: “It means that we can ensure that any project put forward for the consideration of Elected Members is both viable and cost-effective. In short, the PCSA and the work it includes will give the Council access to all the information it needs to make an informed decision about the project.”
Councillor Kristopher Leask, the Chair of the Council’s Development and Infrastructure Committee, said: “Development of our harbour infrastructure in Orkney is key to attracting private investment into the area, creating new highly paid jobs and unlocking enormous economic opportunities for our islands.”
If the project is given the green light to progress to the next stage, it will become the hub for the growing offshore wind and renewable energy sector, which will eventually replace traditional fossil fuels such as oil and gas.
The UK has ambitious targets for transitioning to clean energy by 2050. Upgrading port infrastructure will be a key priority as the government seeks to deploy more wind turbines, invest in more tidal energy schemes, develop local supply chains, deliver clean energy to the mainland, and strengthen the UK as an attractive site for global green energy investors.