Aberdeen Harbour Board officially approved a GBP 350 million development plan to expand the habour last month, after receiving construction and dredging operations licenses from the authorities.
Following the project go-ahead, Aberdeen Harbour signed a contract with Dragados UK for the construction of additional facilities at Nigg Bay to the south of the existing harbour. HR Wallingford, which has been involved in the project from its initial concept stages in 2010, said it will be working with Aberdeen Harbour Board right through to construction and undertaking modelling work for Dragados UK.
Construction is due to commence in spring this year and the project is due to be completed in 2020.
The new facilities will include 1,400 metres of new quay, with a water depth of up to 10.5 metres.
Aberdeen Harbour currently has limited capacity to handle larger vessels for which deep water berthing is required, and the expansion will enable it to provide increased support for the renewables and decommissioning sectors, as well as accommodating larger cruise ships.
According to reports from 2012 , the harbour had been outlined as a potential hub for offshore wind developments within the National Renewables Infrastructure Plan and was expected to play an important and strategic role in the decommissioning sector.
Offshore WIND Staff