West coast sand mine steps up production
Lochaline Quartz Sand Limited is set to double its production and increase annual turnover by more than £2.6m.
Make your life easier with a MyHIE account. It’ll save you time, help you find and organise content based on your needs and interests.
Having on-site accommodation will enhance the dock’s capacity and help it attract more high-end contracts in offshore renewables and oil and gas decommissioning. This in turn will bring wider benefits to the local economy.
Kishorn Port Ltd (KPL) is a joint venture between Leiths (Scotland) Ltd and Ferguson Freight Holdings Ltd, both of whom have businesses at the port. Ferguson Transport and Shipping operate the port and use as a base for their marine logistic services to the aquaculture industry and Leiths operate a quarry on the site.
Kishorn dry dock was developed in the 1970s as a manufacturing and fabrication yard for oil platforms. As one of the largest dry docks in Europe, the facility was also central to the manufacturing of the two Skye Bridge concrete caissons in the 1990s.
Last week it welcomed Teekay’s Banff FPSO for temporary mooring and the Dry Dock was also recently used for the dismantling of the Kaami cargo vessel, which ran aground off the coast of Skye in March.
Other projects in recent years include support service on the Ocean Great White rig, prior to it being commissioned to the West of Shetland oil field.
In 2017 the dock was completely refurbished in readiness for new contracts. The abutment gates and seals were overhauled, the site was prepared in readiness and a new access concrete ramp was created. The £450,000 project included £158,932 from HIE.
KPL also secured £800,000, from the Scottish Government’s Decommissioning Challenge Fund, for infrastructure upgrades at the dry dock, certified by Bureau Veritas and now open for business.
The accommodation project will involve the installation of two blocks housing 28 single bedrooms.
Alastair Nicolson, HIE’s area manager for Lochaber, Skye and Wester Ross, said:
“Kishorn Port and Dry Dock is a great asset to Wester Ross that supports valuable jobs in a very rural area. It contributes to economic and community growth and the wider competitiveness of the region.
“The dock has huge potential, not only in the decommissioning of floating structures, but in the extension of life for oil and gas assets, renewables and aquaculture projects as well.
“We are very pleased to be able to support this latest project to develop on site accommodation. This will enhance the site’s capacity and help it attract more high-value contracts.”
Alasdair Ferguson, Director of Kishorn Port Ltd, said:
“HIE’s financial support at Kishorn is very much appreciated. This support funding has allowed us to develop on site accommodation to support contractors and staff who are out with reasonable travelling distance to work on site for projects such as the ones we are currently undertaking and also for future contracts.”
Lochaline Quartz Sand Limited is set to double its production and increase annual turnover by more than £2.6m.
Fetcha Chocolates Limited is investing in new equipment to quadruple its capacity, increase turnover and create employment.
A major project to create a new visitor hub on the island of Canna in Lochaber has secured a £20,000 contribution from HIE.
HIE has appointed Benbecula company D Macdonald (Building Contractors) Ltd to create seven new units at Eabhal. Business Park
A £1.3m contract has been awarded for the refurbishment of a building on Enterprise Park Forres to create the new Manufacturing Innovation Centre Moray (MICM).
Food and Drink TechHUB will provide financial and advice support to help businesses, including social and community enterprises, with commercial growth and net zero transition activities.
The funding can help cover the costs of equipment, new technology or fixtures and fittings, or to construct, adapt or upgrade business premises or other infrastructure.
The improvements will enable the company to continue its growth through increased capacity and efficiencies in production.
People interested in developing and applying their ideas on the use of technology to start or grow a business can attend in person or online.
The HIE funding will help meet the costs of plant and equipment and help lever in significant private sector investment to the project.
As a result of HIE’s support, businesses in the area are set to see combined turnover rise by £22.4m, while international sales will grow by £661,000.