Montrose Port Authority has announced that offshore mooring specialist, First Marine Solutions (FMS), has signed a new five-year lease agreement, solidifying the organisations’ existing partnership and reinforcing their joint commitment to driving the energy transition in the North Sea and beyond.

Founded in 2009 and headquartered in Aberdeen, FMS has been a key player at Montrose Port since 2016, utilising a dedicated quayside base to provide temporary and permanent mooring solutions for floating offshore units in the energy sector.

Under this new lease, FMS will continue operations from its state-of-the-art quayside facility and as part of this new lease has added a new 22,000sqft warehouse facility as it expands its operation at Montrose Port. The mooring systems, developed and mobilised by FMS, now play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between traditional and renewable energy. Since the inception of its renewable energy consultancy in 2020, FMS has been consistently developing the mooring and survey capabilities honed in the offshore oil and gas industry, in order to provide the offshore floating wind market with a comprehensive consultancy service.

This approach towards a more sustainable and balanced energy mix aligns with Montrose Port’s own strategy, given its status as Operations & Maintenance (O&M) base for the Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm, located 27 km off the Montrose coastline, and its future role as the O&M base for the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm. The latter recently secured a Contract for Difference (CfD) in the latest UK Government allocation round (AR6).

The five-year lease extension strategically positions FMS and Montrose Port Authority as pivotal players in advancing the renewable energy sector in the North Sea. As FMS expands its presence in renewables, Montrose Port aims to become a leading O&M hub for the rapidly growing offshore wind industry. This ambition is highlighted by the introduction of Montrose’s self-funded shore power facility, Plug Montrose. Launched earlier this year, this initiative significantly reduces vessel emissions and establishes Montrose as the first port in Scotland to offer such a facility to vessels servicing the offshore energy sector.

Sharing his enthusiasm for the extended partnership, Montrose Port Chief Executive, Tom Hutchison, stated: “FMS not only holds a pivotal role within our Port as an integral stakeholder, contributing significantly to our position as the largest chain and anchor port globally, but it also stands as a key employer for Montrose. This aligns seamlessly with our trust port status, allowing us to create jobs for our town and make a substantial economic impact on the region. We are delighted to have FMS continue working with us for the next five years, reinforcing our capabilities and commitment to a sustainable offshore future.”

Steven Brown, FMS Managing Director, said: “The extension of our lease with Montrose Port Authority serves to consolidate an already-robust working relationship, which sees both companies continue to tailor their services to an evolving energy industry.  Since establishing our Montrose base, FMS’ portfolio of services has developed significantly to create the market’s leading provider of single-source moorings solutions. Mobilisation from our dedicated quayside space at Montrose plays a fundamental role in our operations, allowing us to continually strengthen our position across the energy sector.”