Aberdeen South Harbour welcomes the first vessel

The Port of Aberdeen welcomed the first commercial vessel to the new South Harbour on Saturday 2 July, as construction of the £400 million port expansion continues at pace.

Subsea 7’s Seven Atlantic dive support vessel berthed at Dunnottar Quay to change over the crew, offload project equipment and stock up on provisions after completing inspection, repair and maintenance work for EnQuest. The vessel will return to South Harbour later in the month for annual routine maintenance.

Keith Young, Project Director, Port of Aberdeen, said: “This is an important milestone for the project and a reflection of the hard work and collaboration from everyone involved. We are focused on being fully operational by the end of October and ensuring new and existing customers benefit from this world-class facility.”

The first arrival marks the ‘soft start’ to operations at South Harbour, which can now accommodate vessels at a complete section of Dunnottar Quay which is 400m long, 30m wide and has a berth depth of -10.5m.

South Harbour will be operational by the end of October 2022. Dunnottar Quay, Crathes Quay and Castlegate Quay will be complete and available to port users at that point.

Construction of the major port expansion project will conclude in May / June 2023 when the remaining Balmoral Quay is brought into service.

According to Bob Sanguinetti, Chief Executive, Port of Aberdeen, the £400 million port expansion project will transform the harbour’s capabilities, help to develop high potential sectors, such as offshore wind and green hydrogen, and unlock growth in the trade and maritime sector.