Ardersier floating wind factory plan could create 1,200 jobs

Plans for a floating offshore wind manufacturing facility at Port of Ardersier have moved forward after more than £778,000 in Scottish Government funding was approved for an engineering study.

The funding was announced by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) on 7 September and will support an 18-month front-end engineering design (FEED) study led by France-based BW Ideol. The company plans to develop an industrial facility at Ardersier dedicated to the serial production of its Damping Pool® concrete floating foundations for offshore wind projects.

HIE said the proposed facility is designed to produce one foundation every 12 days from a single production line, equivalent to about 500MW of annual capacity. If the project reaches full operation, it could create around 1,200 direct jobs in the Highlands and support a wider regional supply chain.

Public backing for a larger industrial project

According to BW Ideol, this is the first public-sector backing secured specifically for its planned Ardersier factory. The funding approval followed collaboration between HIE and Scottish Development International, which worked to help bring the project to Scotland.

The FEED study is intended to shape the next stage of development for the site. That means the latest announcement does not mark a final investment decision or the start of construction, but it does move the proposal into a more detailed engineering phase.

Highlands manufacturing and offshore wind angle

For ScottishBusiness readers, the significance goes beyond the grant itself. Ardersier has been positioning itself as a major energy-transition site, and a manufacturing facility of this scale would add a substantial industrial and employment element to that strategy.

As well as direct jobs, the project could create demand for contractors, fabrication specialists, transport firms, port services, engineering support, and other supply-chain businesses across the Highlands and beyond. If it proceeds, it would also strengthen Scotland’s role in the floating offshore wind market rather than limiting that opportunity to project development alone.

The approval gives BW Ideol and its public-sector partners a concrete next step. The next key stage will be the outcome of the engineering study and whether the project can progress to full development at Ardersier.