Northern Scotland News

ABS Group Ltd. has received a contract to provide third-party certification and design verification services for Hexicon AB for the planned Dounreay Tri Floating Offshore Wind Farm demonstrator project in Scotland. The Dounreay Tri Project, expected to be operational in 2018, is being developed by Hexicon and its partners to pilot a novel floating foundation design for offshore wind. When completed, the project will consist of two wind turbines, up to 6 MW each, mounted on Hexicon's platform that will be located offshore northern Scotland. According to Hexicon, the platforms allow wind turbines to be deployed efficiently in remote areas where winds are stronger and more stable and the platforms are not limited by water depth.

Scrabster Harbor Trust (UK) has taken delivery of a new harbor tug / workboat, a Damen Stan Tug 1606. The vessel, named Highlanders, will replace itscurrent workboat which was built in 1976. The new tug will undertake pilotage, towing, general harbour and maintenance duties. Scrabster Harbour in northern Scotland is attracting much larger vessels and cargoes in need of larger tugs for their assistance. The steel hulled, twin screw vessel has a 16 ton bollard pull, and is also equipped with a dredging plough and A-frame for lifting.

The World’s Longest established Fuel Injection equipment specialist’s ‘PB Asher’ joins forces with ‘Burgess Marine’ The UK’s largest independent Ship Repair Company to offer a complete solution for marine engine overhaul, repair & replacement. Ben Cross – MD at PB Asher says “We couldn’t be happier joining forces with Burgess Marine; It’s a logical move and will enable both companies to offer an improved service solution to existing and prospective customers. Burgess Marine is at the forefront of the specialised marine engineering industry…

Scotland's Aberdeen Harbour Board submits its 'Directions for Growth' document to the National Planning Framework. In response to a call for candidate developments the document outlines the findings from an ongoing feasibility study, which was launched in September to assess the viability of potential expansion options for a new or improved harbour facility. Three potential locations out with the existing harbour have been considered – North Beach, immediately to the north of the harbour…

Helicopters flew to the rescue of offshore oil workers on Sunday after a large blaze broke out on a remote oil platform in the North Sea between Britain and Norway. The Swedish company which owns the Thistle Alpha platform, Lundin Petroleum, said the fire had been extinguished in under three hours and that no one had been injured. Around 117 personnel were airlifted to safety, while 42 staff remained on board, a coastguard spokesperson said. Five British and two Norwegian helicopters were involved in the rescue operation, which also included a Nimrod plane from the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Kinloss in northeast Scotland. The rig employs 159 people and is based 120 miles northeast of the Shetland Islands, off the coast of northern Scotland.

The International Transport Intermediaries Club (ITIC) has uncovered what appears to have been an attempt by an individual to gain illegal entry into the UK by using the services of a ship agent. The ship agent, based in Northern Scotland and a member of ITIC, was asked to place a superintendent on board a vessel called the “Skiner,” which was apparently en route from Scandinavia to Ireland. The agent was asked to provide a letter of invitation so that the superintendent, of Jordanian origin, could apply for a visa. The agent became suspicious when he could not find any trace of the vessel in an extensive search of industry databases.