Offshore industry and others to benefit from reclamation and construction.
The latest significant expansion of Lerwick Harbour’s already extensive deep-water infrastructure is progressing towards completion around the turn of the year. The £5.2 million project by Lerwick Port Authority to reclaim land and construct a new berth will create a 100-metre-plus frontage at the south end of the well-established Greenhead Base.
Reclamation of 16,760 square metres of land is nearing completion and main contractor, Shetland-based Tulloch Developments Limited, is currently carrying out piling operations. The contract is supported by borrowing from the Bank of Scotland.
Sandra Laurenson, Port Authority Chief Executive, said: “The objective is to improve services to existing users and attract increasing traffic. Encouragingly, the project coincides with a marked upturn in the number of large offshore construction vessels and diving support vessels using the harbour – the type of ships the new berth is primarily designed to accommodate.
“Complementing existing laydown areas at Greenhead and with another pad to increase heavy lift capacity, the extension to berthing with nine metres’ water depth further develops the port’s ability to accommodate and support these vessels.”
The development and the deepening of two existing berths will extend continuous berthing with nine metres’ water at the Base to 345 metres.
The latest land reclamation extends around the shoreline to the rear of Lerwick Fish Traders’ salmon processing factory and improves access and laydown for it and an adjacent transport operator.
The nearby Shetland Catch pelagic fish processor will also benefit, with the new quay to be used for loading refrigerated cargo vessels (reefers) with frozen product for export.
The land adds to that reclaimed in a major dredging project completed in 2008 to deepen the harbour and improve access.