Highlands Green Freeport hits 'final milestone' to unlock 11,000 jobs

The Highlands Green Freeport has hit a “historic final milestone”, unlocking 11,000 potential jobs and £25m worth of UK Government funding.

The Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport (ICFGF) became operational through an agreement which was signed into action by the UK and Scottish governments, and the Highland Council on Friday.

The Freeport is one of two such developments planned for Scotland, with the agreement set to free up £25m of UK Government cash for the scheme.

Freeports are places where business can be carried out inside a country’s land border, but where the normal tax and customs rules don’t apply in full.

In Scotland, they are referred to as Green Freeports because their main industry focus is renewable energy, such as offshore and onshore wind.

According to Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport, these hubs are intended to stimulate economic activity in their designated areas, attract investment, and create jobs.

Deputy first minister Kate Forbes said the signing puts the Highlands “firmly on the radar” of all clean energy supply chain investors who are looking at where to invest their money and locate their businesses.

“This is a momentous day,” she said.

“[These businesses] all need to recruit hundreds of jobs, and they all want to invest hundreds of millions worth of funding. That will have implications for building of new affordable homes and it will have implications for investment in infrastructure. My hope is that the benefit will be felt right across the Highlands.”

The planned Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport has already helped attract investment to the area, with Japanese firm Sumitomo Electric planning to develop a £350m subsea cable manufacturing facility at the Port of Nigg, which will create more than 150 jobs next year.

The official signing of the agreement on Friday was the final stage of a five-year planning process.

ICFGF said it is “poised to create more than 11,000 long-term jobs and a workforce equipped with future-ready skills” over the next 25 years.

Scottish secretary, Douglas Alexander, said the agreement is a “pivotal moment in the UK Government’s mission to boost economic growth in all parts of the UK”.

“The Inverness and Cromarty Green Freeport will transform the economy of the Highlands, as well as playing a key role in our clean energy future,” he said.

“Supported by £25m of UK Government investment, and a range of UK Government tax incentives, this important collaboration between governments and local partners will deliver thousands of high-quality jobs and attract billions in investment.”

Calum MacPherson, chief executive of ICFGF, said the “ball is already very much already rolling” for infrastructure projects.

“We are going to be looking at how we build capacity in this area,” he said.

“We already lose a lot of people in this area, a lot of young people leave. So part of what we want to do is give them an option to stay or indeed to come back.”