Samsung’s plans to set up a £100 million offshore wind turbine hub in Fife have been called into question, after executives visited a number of other potential locations around the UK. It is believed that the Korean group is being courted by rival port operators in the Highlands and on Humberside.
The news comes almost two years after First Minister Alex Salmond announced that Samsung had chosen Methil as its preferred site for turbine production, in a deal that would see Scottish-owned gearbox manufacturer David Brown establish a plant there, creating more than 500 jobs.
At the time, Samsung Heavy Industries chief executive Insik Roh said: “We hope to contribute to the Scottish economy through successful testing and certification of our cutting-edge offshore wind turbine — and ultimately through establishment of our manufacturing facility here in Methil.”
The Highland ports of Nigg and Ardersier have both said that they can offer more space than the Fife site and that this would offer greater potential to increase capacity and house partner factories that could make turbine parts such as blades, nacelles, towers and foundations. However, Methil Council is currently looking at increasing its port’s space by a third through a land reclamation project.
At the end of October, Samsung finished erecting its 7MW demonstrator turbine — the biggest in the world — 50m off the Methil coast. It will begin producing energy (enough for nearly 5,000 homes) by the end of this month.