Peterhead Port Authority has embarked on a major piece of work to help it best embrace the opportunities presented by the energy transition.
With climate change driving policy change in general, and the drive to net zero in Scotland by 2045 in particular, the PPA Board and senior management want to better understand how Peterhead can be scaled up to function more efficiently as a multi-sector port.
The study, by experts at Royal HaskoningDHV, has been commissioned by PPA in conjunction with ScottishEnterprise and is supported by port-based companies ASCO and NorSea, as well as key stakeholder Storegga.
“There are a great many opportunities arising from sectors such as offshore wind, hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, alternative fuels and decommissioning,” says Keith Mackie, PPA Head of Business Development – Energy Transition.
“This study, done in collaboration with our key stakeholders, will allow us to take best advantage of these new areas while continuing to support our existing oil and gas and fisheries activities.”
The joint review follows on from an earlier study commissioned by ASCO, the global integrated logistics and materials management company which operates and owns South Base terminal at Peterhead.
On the same theme, the Port will be holding an event in partnership with Invest Aberdeen and the North Sea Transition Authority on 25th April – “Peterhead
Port: Embracing the Energy Transition Opportunity” – designed to highlight these new opportunities. Sessions will be held, covering skills and employability, offshore renewables, carbon capture and storage, hydrogen, and offshore oil and gas and decommissioning, with panels comprised of major energy operators, leading offshore wind developers and industry bodies. The event is free to attend and registration closes 14 April.
The Port has also joined a project that aims to create a hydrogen highway from Scotland to Rotterdam. Details of the project were announced by the Net Zero Technology Centre and ERM in December 2022. It seeks to demonstrate that liquid hydrogen can be successfully transported at scale, providing an export route to the Port of Rotterdam and other European destinations.
PPA joins a diverse international consortium, including Axens,Chiyoda, EnQuest, ERM, Koole Terminals, Port of Rotterdam, Scottish Government, Shetland Islands Council, Storegga and the Net Zero Technology Centre. The partners will work together undertaking engineering studies targeted at developing a pilot project as a precursor to large scale export.
Mr Mackie says: “We are delighted to have joined this project, which fits into our overall strategic plan of considering all energy transition opportunities from across multiple sectors.”
It was announced this week that the project had won the Stronger Together award at the Netherlands-British Chamber of Commerce Awards 2023.
On the fisheries side, there has been a strong start to 2023, with whitefish and shellfish landings by the end of February up 1,287 tonnes on 2022, reflecting the uplift in some key quotas for the fleet this year. Pelagic landings are also up by 6,496 tonnes over the same period. Prices have been good as well, with the overall value for both whitefish and pelagic catches landed into Peterhead up 17% (£9m) by the end of February on last year.
Peter Duncan, Head of Fishing – Commercial, said: “There has been a general increase in fishing activity, and on the pelagic side more blue whiting catches.
“Weather has hampered landings during March, but vessels are managing to fish between the periods of poor weather.”