PODCAST: All change at the Port of Aberdeen

The Port of Aberdeen is 900 years old and having played a crucial part in North Sea oil and gas, looks set to be playing a similar role in offshore wind.

The new South Harbour was effectively built from the ground up at a cost of £420 million, rather than built on existing infrastructure, which meant while it was more costly it was easier to incorporate the different things that this new industry requires, business development manager Kieran Morton told Maritime Journal in an interview with editor Debbie Mason, which can be heard in full in our podcast, here.

Among the many issues discussed, Morton spoke about the challenges and opportunities for offshore wind in general, the strengths of the UK in this sector, the uniqueness of Aberdeen as a port, and the lack of certainty plaguing developers.

Aberdeen is in a fortunate position because of the oil and gas legacy it has, which is still its bread and butter, and has given the port plenty of experience in dealing with large infrastructure changes.

The port is also leading the way and lending its experience to other ports planning to embark on similar ventures – but the government really needs to play a part in this to give prospective projects more certainty and perhaps a bit of cash.

Listen in full here.