Port of Aberdeen
Jordan Harkins, Head of Communications
About you
Tell us a bit about your organisation (who are you, where do you operate)
Port of Aberdeen is the UK’s oldest and newest port. We have been at the heart of industry and trade in the city for almost 900 years. Our transformational South Harbour expansion will be critical to the North East of Scotland’s energy transition and drive to net zero.
What is keeping you busy currently? What large projects are you working on?
Construction at South Harbour is now complete and we’re making final preparations for the official opening with Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal on Friday 22 September. We were recently awarded funding for three decarbonisation projects from the UK Government, including the design and delivery of the first large-scale shore power project in Scotland.
What are some of the opportunities/challenges you see for your organisation in the future?
Offshore wind presents the most significant area for growth in the next decade. We have operated as the marine logistics hub for the North Sea oil and gas industry for the past 50 years and are uniquely positioned to transfer this experience and expertise across the lifecycle of offshore wind developments, from planning to O&M and decommissioning.
How would you describe the company culture? Do you have any specific shared values?
Ports can be a high-risk environment so have a strong culture of teamwork and looking out for each other. Nothing is so important that it can’t be done safely, and everyone is empowered to stop the job.
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About your OEUK membership
As an organisation how is OEUK membership helping your business?
OEUK membership helps to connect us with companies and individuals across the industry that we might not typically cross paths within the port. This helps to broaden our understanding of challenges and opportunities in offshore energy and where the port can take action.
Which OEUK event did you most enjoy and why?
The Business Breakfasts – bacon roll, networking, and industry insights, what more could you want?
OEUK has over Fourteen Forums, which forum do you attend and what do you like most about that particular forum?
I’m a member of the Government Relations Working Group and port colleagues regularly attend a diverse range of OEUK forums, such as decommissioning, supply chain and logistics. The Government Relation group is great for keeping updated on political activity and commentary.
Future of the industry
What are the biggest net zero changes you have seen in our industry?
The North Sea Transition Deal was a massive step for industry and government in terms of commitment, action and investment to achieving net zero, while supporting domestic energy production.
How do you see the industry looking in 20 years?
I think we’ll be an industry well on its way to net zero, supporting high quality jobs and continuing to lead the way in low carbon innovation and technology development.
How is your organisation driving the transition to net zero?
We launched our net zero strategy earlier this year with the bold ambition to become the UK’s first net zero port by 2024. This means being an exemplar and targeting net zero emissions from vessels visiting the port (scope 3), as well as the port’s own operations (scope 1 and 2). We’re investing £55 million over the next decade to turn this ambition into reality and strong partnerships and investment across the public and private sectors are essential to deliver this transformational change.
