THE deadlock over the sale of the Nigg fabrication yard seems certain to be finally broken, heralding the creation of more than 1500 jobs at the Easter Ross facility within months. The five-year standoff between the two current owners had led to threats of a compulsory purchase order. But it is now set to be resolved with the news that Global Energy has been named as preferred bidder with plans to make it a main player in the offshore renewable energy revolution. Nigg is one of 11 Scottish sites earmarked to play a key role in the anticipated offshore wind energy revolution, which will see 7000 offshore turbines built in the UK by 2020 in a massive ?80 billion investment programme. Engineering giant KBR owns two-thirds of the yard, but 76 acres are owned by the Wakelyn Trust of the Nightingale family, who own the Cromarty Estate.This land was leased by KBR, although the two owners have never agreed over the way forward. a clause stated that if KBR sold before the lease expired, it would have to reinstate the yard as a greenfield site or pay the multi-million-pound equivalent costs. Global chairman Roy MacGregor, who runs a leading oil and gas service company employing 3500, was quick to assure local people there would be no decommissioning of toxic ghost ships or redundant oil rigs at the yard.