Salmon farmer 'planning £35m processing plant on Clyde'
The Scottish Salmon Company (SSC) is planning a £35 million processing plant, research and development centre and training facility at Inchgreen on the south side of the River Clyde between Port Glasgow and Greenock, it has been reported.
The development would require £10m from the Glasgow City Deal to prepare the site, according to Inverclyde Now website.
Inverclyde Now quoted a report by officials that there is “stated and defined interest in a market-ready serviced Inchgreen site” from several firms including the Scottish Salmon Company.
Deep water access
The officials’ report states: “Development of Inchgreen will enable the redevelopment of a west Scotland Clyde waterfront site with deep water access and 11.50 hectares of development space.
“Intervention to deliver this will involve site preparation, site clearance and associated remediation works together with investment associated with upgrading of infrastructure (marine/access/services and utilities) and contribution to abnormal costs associated with the delivery of an advance building unit (12,100 square metres) to create a market-ready inward investment.
“This will support investment of circa £35 million (construction and fit-out) by Scottish Salmon Company.”
300 jobs
Inverclyde Now said it is hoped that work can start early next year with 300 jobs created by 2024.
The site is adjacent to Inchgreen Dry Dock, one of Scotland’s largest dry docks at 305m x 45m, that is managed by Peel Ports and is being marketed as a site for the decommissioning of oil rigs.
SSC, owned by Faroese salmon farmer Bakkafrost, has processing plants at Marybank near Stornoway on Lewis, and at Cairndow at the head of Loch Fyne, but is seeking to increase production and will require more capacity. SSC harvested 35,000 tonnes gutted weight of salmon last year and expects to harvest 40,000 tgw this year, with larger volumes to follow.
