Wireline Issue 48 - Summer 2020

Titan of Industry The original Kishorn Yard was owned by Howard Doris Ltd and operated from 1975 to 1987. The dry dock was constructed specifically for the Ninian Central development, which represented the largest project undertaken at the site. The 600,000-tonne platform, when completed, was towed by seven tugs from Kishorn to its destination, around 240 miles north east of Aberdeen in the northern North Sea. At the time it represented the largest man-made moveable object. The scale of operations at Kishorn during its peak years meant two retired cruise ships were berthed locally to help accommodate workers. Those years, and the people who worked there, are also marked in the well- known folk song ‘Kishorn Commandos’. Today, operations at the location include the provision of quarry products to construction projects alongside port support services for sectors such as renewables, oil and gas, forestry and aquaculture.

Above: After being built at Kishorn, Yard the Ninian Central platform was towed by seven tugs to its final destination in the northern North Sea.

www.kishornport.co.uk

welcome support from Highland Council, particularly in respect to planning issues, Crown Estate Scotland and local landowner the Applecross Trust. “It’s a fragile area economically and Kishorn does represent economic development and jobs, which are important locally,” says Colin. That has also necessitated a close and co-operative relationship with local residents. “The community has by and large been very supportive of Kishorn over the years,” he says. “We use a lot of local services — ranging from accommodation to construction support — and many of those will benefit as and when we’re successful in bringing more work to the port. “Our goals now are to build an established track record across all three of our strategic areas. We want to create a breadth of experience and have the facility constantly busy.” Colin believes Kishorn still enjoys a special status in the local community. “There are still many people living here who clearly remember the days of Ninian Central being built. When you’re around the area, you meet people who enjoy telling you that they worked at Kishorn and about their experiences there. It’s almost ingrained into the local psyche in some respects.”

With a draft of over 23 metres, the 60,800-tonne rig required deep water for anchoring and Loch Kishorn provided an ideal site, helped as well by its sheltered conditions. Meanwhile, outside of the decommissioning arena, KPL is optimistic that a new round of seabed leasing by Crown Estate Scotland for offshore wind developments may yield major opportunities. The leasing process is still in its early stages but involves multiple areas around the Scottish coastline. In particular, the port is positioning itself as a location for the fabrication of foundations for fixed or floating offshore wind turbines. Colin says Kishorn is cited in the early documentation as a prospective delivery location for support of these developments. “We believe we’re really well placed to service new developments, particularly off the west and north coasts. “It’s also good news for us that the process indicates that developers should look to use as much local content as they can.” The strategic investment programme at Kishorn has received grant support from both Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and the Scottish government’s Decommissioning Challenge Fund. It has also had

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