Kishorn Port & Dry Dock
First-rate port and logistic facilities for energy and renewables industries
A Proud Partnership
Kishorn Port Ltd (KPL) is a 50/50 joint venture between Ferguson Transport (Spean Bridge) Ltd and Leiths (Scotland) Ltd. Established in 2008 this proud partnership was created with the ambitious objective of:
- re-establishing the Kishorn Yard as a major facility for the manufacturing and distribution of renewable energy components
- the resurrection of the Dry Dock
- and the potential decommissioning/recycling of floating structures
Why KPL is Unique
The Port provides first-rate deep water berthing and storage facilities for a wide variety of vessels and cargoes.
Its’ unique features also offer:
almost unlimited water depth just off the port in the Sound of Raasay
an 80m deep channel in Loch Kishorn
100m plus deep sheltered berths in the Sound of Raasay
one of Europe’s largest Dry Dock with a 160m diameter with 13.8m of water at MHWS
safe, low-risk conditions for equipment to be trialled within the Dry Dock, allowing for real results to be obtained, even in extreme winter weather
History
The site was originally developed in the 1970s by Howard Doris Ltd for the fabrication of the 600,000 tonne Ninian Central Platform and is ideally located to serve the offshore sector.
At the time of build, the Ninian Central Platform was unbelievably the largest ever man-made object to be moved across the surface of the Earth, until it was superseded in the 1990s by a Norweigan oil rig, now making it the second largest.
This proud history continues today under the proactive partnership of Ferguson Transport and Leiths (Scotland), as Kishorn Port Ltd strives to re-establish the area as a key deep water port for the aquaculture and energy sectors in the North of Scotland.
What Kishorn Port & Dry Dock Offers
Dry Dock
The Dry Dock at KPL offers:
- a fully concreted flat base
- berthing
- 4 hard edged quays with up to 13.8m of water at MHWS
- a total of 450m of quay space
- a quarry on site at Kishorn Port with 6.5 million tonnes of suitable aggregate reserve and a concrete batching plant on site
- an industrial footprint of up to 45ha is available with extensive hard standings and lay-down areas
Full Planning Permission
KPL has completed an Environmental Impact Assessment and planning and environmental statements for the entire site. There is a planned storage/anchorage area for completed turbines with relevant marine licencing to be moored before being towed out to their final position.
The Port facility has full planning permission for all the energy sectors including:
Oil and Gas
Drilling Rig life extension & upgrades
Decommissioning
Renewables
On-site, there are established port facilities, agency shipping, stevedoring, craneage and transport facilities with work vessels and self-discharge cargo ships based out of the port so that we can offer a comprehensive Port service to our clients.
KPL Masterplan
KPL has developed a Masterplan which has been approved by The Highland Council for full planning permission to develop the Kishorn Port and Dry Dock site as a fabrication and assembly hub for the offshore Energy sector.
The KPL Masterplan is supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise. There are also plans for an accommodation camp on-site and a temporary holding area for completed offshore projects in Loch Kishorn.
When the site is re-established as a full manufacturing facility of concrete gravity base structures, it could provide up to 2,500 future jobs.
The Kishorn Port Masterplan includes:
- the refurbishment of one of Europe’s largest dry docks
- reclamation of the foreshore
- upgrading and extending the existing pier structures
- and the erection of fabrication and warehousing buildings on site
Although based on the west coast of Scotland, plans for tow-outs round the north of Scotland to the east coast have been formulated, bringing many of the prospective UK offshore developments within reach of Kishorn Port, further establishing itself as a prominent hub for the energy and renewables sectors in the UK.
Groundbreaking Trials
In 2013/2014 KPL hosted a ground-breaking trial by the Scottish marine energy company Albatern. Their WaveNET device underwent hydrostatic testing at KPL, which consisted of the world’s first coupled array of units known as Squids.
The units were collected from Albatern’s manufacturing facility in Central Scotland, using a standard flatbed articulated trailer by Ferguson Transport & Shipping, and made use of on-site engineering and craneage facilities at Kishorn Port.
The Albatern project is similar to that of Trident, which came on-site at Kishorn in 2012. Trident Energy’s lease agreement with KPL allows them to test their PowerPod wave technology at sea and gather operating data to inform commercial designs and performance modelling.
KPL is supported by having transport, warehousing and logistics links, both by road and sea already established on-site. This makes the Kishorn Port the ideal location for developers to trial their devices with minimal transport challenges and infrastructure requirements.
Ferguson Transport & Shipping offers a comprehensive range of Port Services at KPL.
Click below for more information or get in touch with any questions about your specific requirements.
