SMITH & MERCHANT QUAY AND SMITH EMBANKMENT

With its eyes on the coming offshore windfarm construction boom, and the transition to net zero more generally, as well as the growing decommissioning market, PPA took back control in September 2024.

One of the port's first significant investments stems from its partnership with Maritime Developments Ltd (MDL), which plans to invest more than £12 million over the next three years at a new Peterhead Energy Service Base. The facility will provide handling and storage services for power cables and mooring lines destined for offshore wind developments.

The Port’s Board has approved initial plans for an extension to Smith Quay from its present 120m to 200m and the construction of a mooring dolphin, extending berthing space by a further 40m, and dredging to a depth of 10m along the length of the quay. The extension will allow the quayside to accommodate vessels of up to 200m in length, an essential improvement for the Port as the size of offshore wind vessels continues to increase.

With land reclamation at Smith Embankment having provided an additional 30,000 square metres, a total of 67,000 square metres of operational and laydown space is available. This includes an additional 5,000 square metres which will be reclaimed as part of the quayside extension.

Operation of the bunkering facility, with two MGO fuel tanks, has been taken over by the ASCO Group. It is investigating the provision of MGO/HVO blended fuel as a means of vessel operators reducing their carbon footprint.