The fabrication yard at Arnish Point, near Stornoway, is to reopen by mid-April following a takeover of the previous operator Camcal, which went into administration last year.
Some 80 workers were laid off in July when Camcal's finances were exhausted and a £200,000 emergency grant from the Scottish Executive paid the last of their wages. Half that number could soon be employed at the yard again.
Camcal's new owner is an investment group, Altissimo Limited, which is headed by a Swiss-Dutch redevelopment company Business Creation Investments. Since its inception in 1992, Business Creation has generated more than 55,000 jobs in Europe. Altissimo has acquired the assets of the former yard operator and has decided to retain the Camcal title.
The yard is on land owned by the community-based Stornoway Trust, but leased by the Highlands & Islands Enterprise network which has invested more than £16m in the yard over the years.
However, there is now the prospect of immediate work. Dutch wind turbine manufacturer EWT has agreed that Camcal manufacture 16 wind towers at Arnish, a contract which has lain dormant since the former Camcal went into administration in late August, 2006, when the yard closed.
Managing director of the re-opening yard will be Stornoway man Jimmy Ferguson, who has long experience in the energy fabrication sector. He worked with KBR/Vestas and was MD of Wavegen until its acquisition by part of the Siemens group in 2005.
Latterly he has headed his own firm, Highland Alternative Energy Limited (HAEL), working on renewable energy projects for a host of clients, both public sector and private. HAEL has established a micro renewable business focusing on the Highlands and Islands. He is vice-chairman of Highland Renewable Energy Group.
He said: "I'm delighted to return to my home turf to hopefully make a contribution to the economic wellbeing of the Western Isles. Intensive research has been conducted into the viability of reopening Arnish, and we are satisfied it has a great future as a sustainable niche business.
"We've retained the Camcal name because it produced quality and had a good reputation in the marketplace, but it simply ran out of money. These new investors are making funds available to an extent which ensures the new business can drive forward on a sound financial footing."
He said that 10 people would be hired right away but would see 25 to 40 as the norm for the yard. The company would be talking to developers proposing windfarms on Lewis and Skye.
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