Blueprint finalized! UK's ICFGF Green Freeport secures funding
The Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport (ICFGF) has officially signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UK government, the Scottish government, and the Highland Council, establishing an official cooperation framework for building an international core hub for offshore wind and renewable energy in the Scottish Highlands. According to the agreement, the ICFGF will receive £25 million (approximately €29 million) in funding from the UK government, specifically dedicated to promoting major infrastructure projects and the construction of cooperating ports.
Scottish Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes pointed out that the ICFGF focuses on the development of renewable and low-carbon energy industries. It plans to create up to 11,300 jobs in the Highlands, fully aligning with the Scottish government's flagship policy of "Fair Work First." She emphasized that this signing is a crucial milestone for the project to enter the substantial delivery phase. Previously, the region has witnessed significant investments such as the Sumitomo Submarine Cable Factory (located in Nigg) and the Haventus Energy Conversion Facility (located in Ardersier). The signing of the memorandum will further attract more enterprises to settle in the area and promote regional industrial upgrading.
In terms of planning and layout, the ICFGF covers three tax - incentive areas, encompassing diverse energy industry carriers: Firstly, the Cromarty Firth area, including the Port of Nigg, the Port of Cromarty Firth, and Highland Deep Haven; Secondly, the Ardersier area, with the core carrier being the Ardersier Energy Transition Facility; Thirdly, the Inverness area, including the Port of Inverness, Aurora Energy Services, and the Inverness Campus. Among them, the Ardersier Energy Transition Facility has obtained a joint credit line of £100 million for the construction of nationally strategic infrastructure to support the large - scale deployment of fixed and floating offshore wind power. Currently, the facility has signed cooperation contracts with more than 110 local enterprises, initially forming an industrial collaboration network.
Highland Council Leader, Councillor Raymond Bremner, said that the vision of the ICFGF combines global and local perspectives. On the one hand, it is committed to building a globally competitive center for floating offshore wind, green hydrogen, and advanced manufacturing; on the other hand, it focuses more on benefiting the local people. It ensures that communities along the route from Wick to Inverness can share the development dividends and continuously invests in people's livelihood areas such as skills training and housing construction to strengthen the social foundation for industrial development. According to the long - term plan, in the next 25 years, the ICFGF is expected to create over 11,000 long - term jobs and attract more than £6.5 billion in investment, becoming the core engine for energy transition and economic growth in northern Scotland.
