Forth Ports and Forth Projects
Forth Ports is one of the UK’s largest port operators. Headquartered in Edinburgh, the Groups owns and operates eight ports across the UK. Forth Projects is the heavy lift and project delivery division of Forth Ports.
For the Inch Cape project, the specialist division of Forth Projects was awarded the principal contractor role to manage the logistics and marshalling of the foundation components from the Port of Leith renewables hub. Forth Ports will also lease a vast area equivalent to 28 football pitches at its Port of Dundee facility as the marshalling and pre-installation harbour for the components for the project’s 72 Vestas wind turbines.
Through strategic and targeted infrastructure investment of more than £150 million over the past five years, Forth Ports has created dedicated renewables hubs across both ports, ensuring Inch Cape and future offshore wind projects have access to state-of-the art facilities.
Outcome
A £50 million investment made on the back of the Inch Cape contract has transformed the Port of Leith into an area capable of handling large-scale components. The project has also been a significant driver of local employment and skills, creating up to 50 new green energy jobs. To meet project needs, Forth Ports recruited five new health & safety professionals from the Edinburgh area and upskilled existing staff, offering pathways for port operatives to retrain as crane operators and other specialist offshore wind roles. In addition the Port of Dundee is expected to employ around 50 local workers during peak activity.
Forth Ports has shown a strong commitment to maximising local economic impact. Despite no formal targets, local suppliers for services like welding and fabrication have been sourced from within a 50-mile radius. In collaboration with Inch Cape, the company has also participated in educational outreach at local schools, including careers events, to raise awareness of careers in the renewables sector.
Forth Ports’ partnership with Inch Cape provides a powerful model for supply chain development. By leveraging its strategic locations and investing heavily in purpose-built infrastructure, Forth Ports has reduced logistics costs and operational risks for the project. The lasting legacy of this collaboration includes permanent port infrastructure that will support future renewable projects and a skilled local workforce, helping to future-proof Scotland’s offshore wind supply chain for years to come.
Callum Hogan, Asset Manager of Forth Projects said:
“The Inch Cape monopiles, transition pieces and jackets in the Port of Leith have been dominating the regional skyline and there is plenty more activity planned in the coming months. Forth Projects’ team of around 100 will continue to support the delivery of this – one of Scotland’s largest wind farms – from the port, where the components are being loaded out for installation after completion works.
“As the principal contractor, Forth Projects’ team of heavy lift operations, construction design and management (CDM) & HSEQ, engineering, marine and project management experts have been working closely with the Inch Cape team to ensure safe and efficient project delivery.“
July 2026
Supplier case studies
To date more than 350 UK suppliers and consultancies had helped to progress and shape the project, making it a truly collaborative effort. Click the button to read case studies about just some of those suppliers and their contribution to the project.
