SMITH & MERCHANT QUAY AND SMITH EMBANKMENT

NorSea UK had been leasing Smith Quay since 2014 and the adjacent Merchants Quay since 2018 following demolition of the old fish market.

But 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.

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.

Most of the key skills developed built up over the past 50 years within the oil and gas sector are transferrable to the new sectors of offshore wind, hydrogen and carbon capture.

At Peterhead we are exceptionally well placed to play a key role in for example supporting a wide range of offshore wind developments and providing crucial O&M (operations and maintenance) and marshalling and storage services.

We will look to build on our track record as the base for Equinor’s Hywind Project, the world’s first floating offshore wind farm, which sits on our horizon, and spaces like Smith Quay and Merchants Quay will be critical components of our offer, with extensive deepwater berthing, operational and laydown space and support services.

Our location in relation to the siting of many of these new projects is worth huge savings in time, fuel, vessel costs and overall efficiency.

As a Trust Port, Peterhead is focused on continuous improvement over a longer period of time, which enables us to focus on long-term investments that can ensure our clients get what they need while the Port maintains the flexibility to cope with ever-evolving markets.