Cromarty Firth expansion gets underway

The first stage of what will be an 18 month programme will see the port reclaim nine acres of land from the sea and create an additional deep water berth. The project reflects the level of interest the port has created internationally across the oil and gas sector with a consequential high demand for operational space.

Dredging will be starting to the west of the existing Queens Dock and over the next month 21,000m³ of silt and mud will be removed from the seabed, removing the transient layers of the Firth to reach a solid foundation on which to build the expansion.

Dredging activity will stop in the Cromarty Firth between May and September to protect species of dolphins, seals and porpoise that are at home in those waters.

By Peter Barker