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About Port of Cromarty Firth
The Port of Cromarty Firth was established through an Act of Parliament in 1973. As the largest port in the Highlands and one of the deepest, most sheltered ports in the UK, our priority has been to develop, improve and safeguard the Cromarty Firth on behalf of our stakeholders, including the safe navigation of vessels and people in and out of our waters. This is achieved by balancing economic, social and environmental sustainability, and ensuring the Cromarty Firth delivers opportunities and prosperity to the Highland region and Scotland.
The Port of Cromarty Firth is a leading Trust Port and a powerhouse of the Highland economy. We have served the region and Scotland for over four decades, generating £275 million annually to the economy and supporting the high value and exciting employment in the area. Our priority continues to be balancing economic, social and environmental sustainability to develop, improve and safeguard the Cromarty Firth on behalf of our stakeholders.
Our success to date has been achieved by embracing new industries and enhancing our infrastructure, to capitalise on opportunities and growth markets. Based on the natural, deep sheltered waters of the Cromarty Firth, our modern facilities allow us to have a highly diverse business portfolio based around an ‘Open Port’ philosophy, targeted towards our primary sectors – offshore wind, cruise, oil & gas and green hydrogen.
The Port of Cromarty Firth is at the heart of a green energy revolution and there is nowhere in the country better placed to take advantage of this seismic shift in energy generation. The Cromarty Firth has supported more offshore wind projects than any other Scottish location, with this track record of success established through modern port infrastructure, a world-class supply chain and a highly skilled workforce.
In 2020 the Port of Cromarty Firth had a turnover of £12.7m, with a surplus (profit before tax) of £4.8m recorded. This successful commercial performance will allow the Port’s reinvestment and development to continue, for the benefit of all stakeholders and the wider economy.
Further information on the Port of Cromarty Firth can be obtained from our website: https://pocf.co.uk
Trust Port Status
The Port of Cromarty Firth has operated as a Trust Port since 1973 and in that time, we have developed into one of the UK’s leading Trust Ports.
As a Trust Port, we operate as an independent statutory body and are governed by stakeholders rather than shareholders. Our stakeholders are broad-ranging and include staff and customers, businesses throughout Cromarty Firth and the Highlands, local communities and local and national government.
We value the collaborative work and engagement with stakeholders, who play a crucial role in driving Port of Cromarty Firth forward. We are not publicly or privately owned and we receive no regular public funding, meaning we must generate our own income. It also means that 100% of the profit generated through our operations is reinvested into the improvement and development of the Port.
As a modern and successful Trust Port, we have grown into a national strategic asset that drives economic growth, prosperity and opportunity. In recent years, over £50 million has been reinvested in infrastructure, including land capacity, deep-water berths and sheltered anchorages.
Our Board members and staff are tasked with safeguarding and improving this valuable asset, and to leave them in a better state than when we arrived for future generations. We also, as a Trust Port, strive to achieve all three pillars of sustainability: Economic, Social and Environmental.
Working for the future
The Port of Cromarty Firth has embarked on a major port development programme to enhance and extend its facilities at Invergordon to support the growing offshore energy industry; this currently consists of following phases of work:
Phase 1 – improved surfacing of three acres of land completed in 2010 at a cost of £1m;
Phase 2 – paving of three acres of land completed in 2012 at a cost of £1m;
Phase 3 – construction of a new 154m berth and reclamation of approximately 45,000sqm of land, completed in 2015 at a cost of £25m;
Phase 4 – extension of Phase 3, with the construction of a new 218m berth and reclamation of approximately 47,300sqm of land, completed in 2022 at the cost of £32.1m.
Combined, Phase 3 & 4 will allow the Port to offer a 372m quayside with a minimum water depth of 12m and over 90,000sqm of open laydown area. This will be one of the largest laydown facilities in any UK port, making it the ideal location for offshore wind and floating offshore wind projects. The site will be able to accommodate the largest offshore support vessels as well as major offshore wind components, such as turbine blades, tower sections and nacelles.
This is an exciting time to join a forward thinking Trust Port working for the economic regeneration of Easter Ross aligned to Scotland’s net zero and sustainable future.