UK: Major New Storage Facility Opens at Peterhead Port’s Smith Quay

 

A new £350,000 storage facility has opened at Peterhead, as part of Peterhead Port Authority’s ambitious plans for its Smith Quay development.

The storage base, which covers 8,000 square metres, provides additional working space to support vessel activities at the port’s £35million deepwater berth, the Smith Quay.

The Smith Embankment Project, which incorporates a 200 metre long berth, breakwater, dredging and land reclamation works, was built to attract new business to Peterhead Port through targeting sectors such as subsea, oil and gas decommissioning and offshore renewables.

The facility’s total working area of 16,000 sq metres, heavy lift capability – and water depth of 10 metres – makes the site ideal for these industries .

Peterhead Port Authority expects the new storage base to play a major role in drawing fresh business to the port, through further expansion of its on-site services.

The facility offers a range of short-term storage options for goods being uploaded or discharged from the port. Customers can also lease space at the secure site on either a project or long-term basis. This will support large scale vessel mobilisation and quayside fabrication work.

The site also offers a very economic option for storing large or heavy items that cannot be readily transported by road but are regularly shipped, including subsea equipment, cable reels and potentially the new generation of very large offshore wind turbines which will be installed off the Scottish coast over the next 10 years.

The quay has recently been used for importing two shipments of wind turbines for installation around Aberdeenshire and this is expected to be an ongoing trade over future years.

The opening of the base caps an exceptional first ten months of operations at the Smith Quay, which only last week handled its 100th vessel since it opened for business in October 2010.

During that time the facility has welcomed a host of impressive vessels. The heaviest ship to berth to date was the 17,796 tonne Seven Atlantic, whilst the longest vessel which the facility has handled was the 157 metre long Aker Wayfarer.

John Wallace, Chief Executive of PPA, commented: “We’re delighted to open our new storage facility, which has always been an essential element of our ambitious Smith Quay development.

“The base further enhances the exceptional services we offer at Peterhead Port, which – through providing a deepwater berth, heavy lift capabilities and significant working space – is now an unrivalled facility for, in particular, the subsea and offshore wind sectors.

“The size of the quay’s adjacent working site has already brought projects to Peterhead, which we were previously unable to accommodate, and I’ve no doubt the new storage base will act as a key driver in the continued success and growth of the Port.”

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Source: PeterheadPort, September 12, 2011.