SCOTTISH MARINE TECHNOLOGY PARK
Project Value: £80 million Investment Type: Combined Private/Public Location: Glasgow City Region Landowner: Malin Group Properties Ltd. Timescale: 2024-2026 Status: Phase one planning secured, EIA and PPiP beginning Late 2021.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The Scottish Marine Technology Park (SMTP) will be situated on a 47 acre brownfield site with access to the River Clyde via a large 130m quay.
The SMTP aims to bring together the leading companies in the global marine industry to provide the perfect collaborative environment, capitalising on the benefits of cluster operation. Aligning with national and regional policies, the SMTP aims to be a site of innovation, focusing on environmental and economic impacts. Combine this with the locality of major land and air access routes, along with deep water access to the River Clyde, the SMTP is ideally located to provide a national and worldwide platform from which to launch a new era of the Clyde marine industry.
The initial design of the hub would consist of access to a quay, facilities for tier 1, tier 2, and SME subcontractors. These facilities would be environmentally focused industrial units ranging from 325m² to 7185 m². The whole site will not have mains gas and will instead focus on the use of alternative heating methods for the buildings. Other green focused ideas being explored are:
• Wooden framed industrial units. • Electric car charging points on every car parking space • Solar power for all buildings • Rain water capture and reuse options • Large BOC gas storage for all users to use, this will remove the need for each company to order gas storage per unit to be delivered on a number of separate trucks. It is hoped that by having a main bottle on the site this will remove unnecessary road traffic.
In addition to the industrial units, the SMTP is being designed with a heavy lift quay and ship hoist facilities. The 1100 ton ship hoist is believed to be the biggest in Europe and is vital to allow a diverse range of vessels – including larger vessels- to make use of the facilities. The quay itself offers access to the deep-water channel of the river Clyde. This would allow companies to build and ship heavy cargo on a floating barge down the river Clyde – for example, solving a major logistical problem faced by Tier 1 wind turbine contractors.
The Park also allows for increased capacity, allowing companies to scale up within the purpose-built facility.
The Lomond report, which outlines a government intention to drive STEM graduates and apprentices into the workplace. The SMTP will provide increased opportunities, revenue, and therefore employment opportunities to companies within the STEM field.
The park will create 1000 jobs locally (based on an economic impact assessment conducted by Stantec in 2020), the 20 minute neighborhood will be a key focus during the creation of the park along with other initiatives to work towards sustainability and net zero. For example, it is proposed that every car parking space on site would be suitable for Electric Vehicle charging, making use of solar panels, ground source heat pumps and rainwater harvesting. SMTP are currently engaging with Portal with regards to innovative building practices during the construction phase of the project (wooden framed industrial units).
As part of the Scottish Government Clyde Mission funding, it is intended that a nature corridor is established between the Clyde Canal and the River Clyde, which will function as a nature walk. This would help to encourage healthy working practices with exercise and fresh air on breaks, and to provide wildlife space for local residents to enjoy. There are plans for amenities to be on site to support the workforce and provide further opportunities for employment (e.g. Nursery, Café).
The vision is for the Scottish Marine Technology Park to become a multi-user hub across all aspects of marine industries, to complement existing operations on the Upper and Lower Clyde, to the advantage of all.
The park will provide an accessible option for any business looking to expand into the marine manufacturing sector on the West coast of Scotland, and it will allow them access to the deep water channel on the Clyde via a shared marine facility from their own base of operations.
This new collaborative approach will lower the barriers to accessing the open sea from an open-access focal point for marine manufacture on the Clyde.
new sustainable, green jobs created in the modern marine sector.
INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
The SMTP aims to be a facility which focuses on sustainability and progress at every step. For example, innovative buildings which reduce carbon footprint such as solar panels, ground source heat pumps, and rainwater capture for water re-use on site are being investigated and designed into the site wide masterplan. The use of wood instead of steel for the buildings structure is also being investigated.
The total investment required for the park to be realised is £80m. This investment can be split into several standalone opportunities: • Quay side infrastructure: £10m • Land development: £20m • Property investment: £48m.
STATUS UPDATE
The project is live: • Phase 1 Planning approved • Remediation Planning approved • Remediation Strategy approved • Remediation Trials beginning late 2021 • Marine License for the construction of the quay is approved. • Phase 2 Planning in Principle to begin November/December 2021.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Sam Lee
Business Unit Manager, Scottish Marine Technology Park email: s.lee@malingroup.com
tel: +44(0)7796 132 083
