Montrose upgrade
A major £6m quay upgrade for the UK’s Montrose Port Authority (MPA) has now been completed in a move that will enhance the harbour’s capacity for handling larger cargo and oil and gas ships, enabling it to broaden its scope of vessel services.
The upgrade of berths six and seven on the north side of the port has provided deeper water for berthing than before (8m depth) with the facility also offering much greater quayside operational working space.
The 260m long facility received its first vessels on 11 October, and according to MPA chief executive John Paterson, the refurbished quay forms an important component of the port’s ongoing strategy to meet the needs of a diverse range of modern cargo and oil and gas vessel sectors.
“We are delighted that the upgraded quay is now operational and it provides us with much greater flexibility for vessels visiting the port, offering a fast turnaround when required and greatly enhancing our overall capacity,” he said.
The port has adopted a strategy of upgrading each berth in sequence in order to minimise disruption and inconvenience to shipping and port users. It is anticipated the upgraded quay will prove attractive to a variety of vessel types ranging from pulp carriers to oil support vessels. In particular, the quay will play an essential role in servicing the port’s growing business in handling fertiliser and scrap metal cargo vessels.
The upgrade work on the quays was undertaken by Farrans Construction, who successfully completed a previous deepwater berth project on the south side of the harbour.
By Jake Frith
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