Photo by Marian Florinel Condruz

SSE has selected Montrose Port on Scotland’s Angus coast as the preferred operations and maintenance base for its planned 1.4GW Berwick Bank B offshore wind farm, creating 100 new full-time jobs. During the same visit to the port on 28 September, First Minister John Swinney also welcomed more than £5 million of investment by Subsea Micropiles to build a new facility manufacturing anchoring components for floating offshore wind turbines.

The Berwick Bank B jobs will include technicians and engineers responsible for the day-to-day operation of the wind farm over its expected life of more than 35 years. They will be based at a new hub on the port’s South Harbour, and around 30 construction jobs will be supported while Montrose Port Authority’s existing offices are redeveloped for the base. SSE says the total could rise to almost 300 full-time operational roles at Montrose if Berwick Bank’s remaining A and C phases also win Contracts for Difference (CfDs) and reach final investment decisions.

UK Government Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: “SSE’s plans for Montrose Port show what the UK Government’s drive for clean power can deliver for Scotland: around 100 skilled jobs that could last for decades, investment in our ports and opportunities for local businesses.”

Stuart Hood, Director of Offshore Wind Operations at SSE Renewables, explained the choice: “Our decision to choose Montrose as the preferred operations base for Berwick Bank B and create 100 new jobs reflects the strength of the port, its people and the local supply chain.”

Where the project stands

Berwick Bank B lies in the outer Firth of Forth, around 38km off Scotland’s east coast, and forms part of SSE’s wider 4.1GW Berwick Bank project, which could include up to 307 turbines. In January it secured a 20-year CfD in Allocation Round 7, the only successful award to a Scottish fixed-bottom offshore wind project in that round. A final investment decision is expected next year. If built to its full capacity, SSE says Berwick Bank could become the world’s largest offshore wind farm, powering around 6.5 million UK homes and meeting more than 6% of current UK electricity demand.

A growing offshore wind hub

Montrose is already the operations base for SSE’s Seagreen offshore wind farm, and construction of an operations and maintenance base for the 72-turbine Inch Cape project began at the port in September 2025. Swinney said: “Scotland’s ports are critical enablers of our offshore wind ambitions and key economic assets for surrounding communities, with the Port of Montrose set to become one of the world’s largest offshore wind operations and maintenance hubs, supporting the Berwick Bank, Seagreen and Inch Cape offshore wind farms.”

Tom Hutchison, CEO of Montrose Port Authority, added: “Our relationship with SSE is built on trust, delivery and years of working side by side. Being chosen for Berwick Bank B shows how far that partnership has come and how much SSE values what Montrose can offer.”

Floating wind manufacturing

Subsea Micropiles, which has offices in Ireland and Aberdeenshire, already has an operations base at the port. Its new facility will make components that secure floating offshore wind turbines in deep water, for Scottish and international markets. The project is expected to create around 80 jobs and is backed by £1.45 million from Scottish Enterprise. That follows a £6.7 million investment from the Scottish National Investment Bank, alongside £2.5 million from co-investor Marubeni-Itochu Steel, and forms part of the Scottish Government’s £500 million commitment to offshore wind ports and supply chain.

“Scotland is already recognised as being at the forefront of floating offshore wind development,” Swinney said. “The investment behind today’s announcements is a strong vote of confidence in the sector and in the skilled workforce, innovation and expertise that exists here.”

Derek Robertson, CEO of Subsea Micropiles, said: “Scotland has become an important base for our growth.” He continued: “Ultimately, we see significant potential to establish high-volume production of our anchor and foundation systems in Montrose as the market develops.”

Seabird concerns remain

Berwick Bank remains one of the most contested offshore wind projects in the UK. Scottish Ministers granted consent on 31 July 2025, despite a joint call for refusal from RSPB Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland, the Scottish Seabird Centre, the Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Marine Conservation Society. Under the consent, SSE must show that sufficient seabird compensation will be in place before the project can start. The site lies close to major colonies including Bass Rock, which RSPB Scotland bought earlier this year.

Responding to the CfD award, Anne McCall, Director of RSPB Scotland, said: “Including the proposed Berwick Bank offshore windfarm in the Contracts for Difference scheme is a further blow for marine wildlife in Scotland and beyond.” The coalition of nature charities is still campaigning for the project to be scrapped, with McCall describing it as “the deadliest windfarm for birds we are aware of anywhere on the planet.”