The new director of Hunterston PARC says the site is looking to be at the forefront of offshore wind energy in Scotland to help the country reach its green targets.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has committed £160 million to upgrade ports and factories for building offshore wind turbines, saying the UK would become “the world leader in clean wind energy”.

The new director of Peel Ports Clydeport Jim McSporran, which owns Hunterston PARC, believes that the site’s unique assets make it an ideal base for the manufacturing of floating wind turbines.

He has pointed to the site having the deepest water in the UK, direct access to the national rail network and one of the country’s largest dry docks.

Mr McSporran said: “No other single site in the UK offers Hunterston’s unrivalled combination of deep-water, extensive land area and transport links.

“I’m incredibly excited by what we can do here with the support of both Scottish and UK Governments for the offshore renewables sector.

“Hunterston’s time has come to be a major player in the manufacture of offshore wind assets and our vision is to place it as a major contributor to the Scottish blue-green economy, creating much needed local employment and a sustainable long term community for generations to come.”

The Scottish Government aims to generate half of Scotland’s overall energy consumption from renewables by 2030, with offshore wind generation playing a key role in delivering that target.