Dear member,

The Young Professionals Green Energy Awards returned to Glasgow’s Grand Central Hotel on April 27 where 300 guests saw winners in eight categories receive trophies recognising their work pioneering new ideas and their ambition to change the renewable energy industry for the better. 

It was a truly fantastic evening showcasing the next generation of young talent who are leading the way in Scotland’s renewable energy industry. 

Among the winners were: 

• Haidee Barclay of Ørsted who scooped the Personal Improvement Award. Haidee took an unusual route into the industry, moving from a six-year career as a hairdressing stylist to standing atop a wind turbine as an Apprentice Wind Turbine Technician 

• Colin Thompson of SSEN Transmission, who took home the Engineer Award for championing the use of innovative route analysis software to deliver a solution in four months rather than the 12 months it would have traditionally taken. 

• Julie Le Négaret, of Gravitricity, was this year’s Innovator Award winner. Julie impressed judges by playing a key role in the delivery of Gravitricity’s energy storage concept demonstrator project in Leith. 

Congratulations to all the winners, it’s a wonderful achievement and I hope they continue the excellent work they have already achieved in the industry.

Claire Mack
Chief Executive

Renewables360 project – get involved

You can take a walk around the first project we’ve covered, the Queens Quay heat pump in Clydebank, online now. 

If you’d like your project to be featured, call or email Nick, or read this short document for more info. 

Media reaction: First Minister sets out his vision for Scotland

Humza Yousaf MSP, First Minister of Scotland, set out his vision for the country and the outcomes he and his government aim to achieve by 2026, agreed with each member of his Cabinet, including Neil Gray MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy. 

Responding, Morag Watson, Director of Policy at Scottish Renewables, said: “It’s good that Neil Gray and the Scottish Government have once again recognised that Scotland is dynamic, equitable, sustainable and innovative – four traits that all apply to our renewable energy industry.” 

Wind Energy Week 2023

If you can host a visit or would like to find out more information about how to get involved, please call or email Jack. 

East Lothian Energy Conference

Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian,  is hosting the East Lothian Energy Conference on Friday, May 26 at The Fraser Centre, 3 Winton Pl, Tranent, EH33 1AF between 10:00-15:00.  

Members of Scottish Renewables are invited to attend the conference which will focus on the development of renewable energy in East Lothian with networking opportunities focused on community benefit, skills, supply chain and manufacturing.  

There will also be presentations from The Scottish Government, Scottish Renewables, Crown Estate Scotland, Scottish National Investment Bank, Scottish Enterprise, Stantec, East Lothian Council and Energy Skills Partnership. 

If you would like to attend, please RSVP here. 

News release: 89% of supply chain firms say renewable energy is biggest economic opportunity in Scotland, study finds

Last month we launched the fourth edition of our Supply Chain Impact Statement, an annual showcase of the businesses and organisations working across Scotland’s flourishing renewable energy industry. 

The Statement highlights how Scotland’s supply chain, which stretches from the Borders to the islands, is utilising its expertise, skills and capabilities to deliver specialist work across all renewable energy technologies, including onshore and offshore wind, solar and energy storage. 

Emma Harrick, Head of Energy Transition and Supply Chain at Scottish Renewables, said: “The Supply Chain Impact Statement gives us a real insight into how project developers are working closely and investing in the local supply chain, from innovative start-ups to established organisations, and how businesses are supporting a renewable energy industry that 89% consider to be the largest economic opportunity in Scotland.” 

The launch of this publication was featured in The Scotsman, ReNews, Energy Live News, OGV Energy and Farming Scotland magazine.

Supply Chain Networking Reception

Scottish Renewables invites members to join us to celebrate the publication of the 2022/23 edition of our Supply Chain Impact Statement, and to raise a glass to the tenacity of the local companies who are driving forward Scotland’s clean energy revolution.  

The event, sponsored by SSE Renewables, takes place in Dundee on Wednesday, May 17.  

Register on our website.

Media reaction: Highland cable factory announcement

A Japanese company, Sumitomo Electric, has announced its plans to build a large factory in the Highlands to make sub-sea high voltage cables which can be used to connect offshore wind projects to shore. 

Responding, Nick Sharpe, Director of Communications and Strategy at Scottish Renewables, said: “This announcement shows once again the intense global interest in Scotland’s renewable energy resource. 

“With the world’s largest floating offshore wind pipeline and the potential to develop multiple gigawatts of fixed projects, it’s no surprise that companies like Sumitomo are ready to invest here.” 

Meeting with Santander

Following a call for views on financial guarantees Scottish Renewables has seen an increase in engagement from financial institutions. The Energy Transition and Supply Chain team recently met with Santander to discuss the barriers to providing private finance and support for the supply chain.

WindEurope

Head of Energy Transition and Supply Chain, Emma Harrick and Supply Chain Officer, Sophie Pacitti attended WindEurope in Copenhagen last month. Scottish Renewables co-exhibited on the UK and Ireland Pavilion and the team met with many organisations interested in renewable energy sector in Scotland.  

At the conference Emma also attended an offshore wind supply chain workshop, hosted by WindEurope, to explore how the industry can scale-up to meet our net-zero ambitions.  

Developer & Stakeholder Learning Journey to Kishorn Port & Dry Dock

Last month, Ewan visited Kishorn Port & Dry Dock along with various other stakeholders to explore how this facility on the west coast of Scotland can play an important part in the delivery of offshore wind.

The two-day event hosted by Alasdair Ferguson and Colin Ortlepp, both directors at Kishorn Port Limited, was an opportunity for developers and stakeholders to get a tour of both the port and the dry dock to see first-hand what the facility can offer the renewable energy industry. 

Many thanks to Alasdair and Colin for hosting a fantastic event. 

Nominations open for the Net-Zero Energy Transition Awards 2023

Nominations are now open for the Net-Zero Energy Transition Awards! 

The event will return to Aberdeen on August 24 to recognise the passion, dedication and talent of the exceptional people and companies making up the energy transition supply chain.

View the full list of categories and submit a nomination on our website. The deadline is 5pm on June 28.

National Planning Framework 4

The Scottish Government has published a Post Adoption Statement setting out how the findings of the Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) and consultation responses informed the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) as adopted. SR’s NPF4 briefing analysis focusing on implementation is available on our website

Contact Mark if you would like to discuss this.

Development Planning Regulations

Regulations have been laid in the Scottish Parliament to support the new approach to Local Development Plans (LDPs) in Scotland.

• The Town and Country Planning (Development Planning) (Scotland) Regulations 2023 
• The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 (Commencement No. 12 and Saving and Transitional Provisions) Regulations 2023

The regulations are subject to Parliamentary scrutiny and are due to come into force on May 19. The new provisions support a new way of preparing LDPs that will result in new style plans that manage the use of land in the long-term public interest. The Scottish Government have advised us they will publish guidance to support the regulations.

Biodiversity Case Studies

Our Communications team is drawing together case studies of best practice on biodiversity ahead of a predicted increase in interest in scrutiny on the topic from politicians and journalists.

To find out how much detail we’re looking for, see the developer case studies in our document Wind Power and Peatland: Enhancing Unique Habitats, published in 2020.

Please contact Nick with any questions.

Scottish Onshore Wind Sector Deal (SOWSD)

SR in collaboration with our members is continuing to drive the conversation between the renewable energy industry and The Scottish Government in relation to the establishment of the SOWSD. The SOWSD will seek to capture the needs and ambitions of The Scottish Government and the Scottish wind industry in relation to delivering a minimum installed capacity target of 20GW of onshore wind in Scotland by 2030.

Onshore Wind Strategic Leadership Group (OWSLG)

Co-chairs Ragne Low, Deputy Director, Onshore Electricity, The Scottish Government and Morag Watson convened the third OWSLG meeting on April 25. The Sector Deal Theme Leads each presented an overview of proposed commitments which SR members have fed into. Meeting minutes and Terms of Reference are available on The Scottish Government website.

SR continues to proactively support the Sector Deal process and Theme Leads via SR’s G12 & S5 Policy Advisory Groups and SR’s Onshore & Planning Policy Working groups respectively.

SR Onshore Wind + Planning & Consents Forum Meeting

SR members are invited to our latest Forum on Wednesday, May 24, 09:30 – 11:00, to discuss the issues that matter to you across our policy and communications work.

The Forum will give SR members the opportunity to hear about the work we have been doing on your behalf and to discuss the Scottish Onshore Wind Sector Deal and the key issues for onshore wind, planning and consenting coming over the horizon. Please note Forums are exclusively for SR members only and held online via Teams.

Register here.

Repowering Onshore Wind Seminar

Join us for our Repowering Onshore Wind Seminar on June 6 in Glasgow to hear from leading experts as they share key insights into the business development opportunities presented by decommissioning, life extension and repowering and how Scotland can use first-mover advantage to secure a position as a global centre of expertise.

Secure your place at the member rate.

Highly Protected Marine Areas consultation

The Scottish Government published its consultation on Highly Protected Marine Areas: policy framework on December 12. This policy document set out by The Scottish Government describes the pursuit of developing Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) to further the protection and restoration of nature beyond that of Marine Protected Areas. The Scottish Government has committed to designate 10% of seas as HPMAs by 2026 as part of the Bute House Agreement, with the target of reaching 30% varying levels of protection of Scottish seas by 2030.

Scottish Renewables has published its final response on our website.

Marine Directorate Consenting and Licensing Guidance for Offshore Wind, Wave and Tidal Energy Applications

The Scottish Government's Marine Directorate is inviting stakeholders to provide feedback on the proposed revisions to the ‘Consenting and Licensing Guidance For Offshore Wind, Wave and Tidal Energy Applications’. Specifically, the Marine Directorate is looking to get views on changes to some of the established Section 36 consenting and marine licensing practices for offshore renewable energy projects, in order to streamline the process to make it more efficient and effective and to ensure that guidance to future applicants is presented in the most suitable manner.

Scottish Renewables has published its final response on our website.

Marine Conference & Dinner 2023

Scottish Renewables’ Marine Conference & Dinner on May 25 in Edinburgh will bring together key industry players to discuss the cutting-edge developments happening here in Scotland and assess the opportunities and challenges the sector will face in its journey to full commercialisation.

Book your place at the member rate.

Cruachan Visit

Last month SR Policy Manager Andrew, together with British Hydropower Association and National Grid ESO colleagues, visited Cruachan pumped storage hydro station. It was great to see the facility in action and learn more about the plans for the Cruachan 2 expansion. Many thanks to Drax colleagues for hosting. 

Contracts for Difference consultations

Scottish Renewables submitted a response to the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero's (DESNZ) consultation on proposed changes to Supply Chain Plans for AR6. The response can be accessed via the SR website. 

SR is still welcoming member feedback on the call for evidence on introducing non price factors to the CfD auction process. 

REMA Markets Participant Forum

Scottish Renwables attended the second meeting of DESNZ’s REMA Market Participant Forum (MPF). The subject of the session was locational pricing and there was a strong consensus amongst attendees that neither nodal nor zonal pricing should be pursued. If you would like to discuss SR’s participation in the MPF in more detail, please contact Andrew. 

Central Design Group (CDG) - Holistic Network Design

Scottish Renewables attended a CDG meeting of the Holistic Network Design (HND) on 27 April. The topics of discussion were confidential. If you have any concerns about the HND that you would like us to raise at these meetings, please get in touch. 

Connections reform

Last month, the ESO released a five-point plan to address the current challenges to connections in GB. The plan aims to put into place new processes that will speed up connections and looks to enable proactive management of the queue.

As part of this we attended a webinar on March 30 on the ESO's two-stage offer process and ongoing Transmissions Reinforcements Works (TRW).  If you are interested in this area of work, please contact Stephen.

TNUoS Task Force 

Stephen has recently become a full member of the TNUoS Task Force. The Task Force will now meet once a month as opposed to every 2 weeks. The first meeting this year of the TNUoS Task Force took place on April 26. For further information, please contact Stephen. 

Consultation on frameworks for future systems and network regulation: enabling an energy system for the future

The existing RIIO-2 price controls for electricity and gas transmission and gas distribution networks will run until March 2026, with the new price control for electricity distribution running for five years until March 2028.  

Ofgem are now consulting on the process for deciding the overarching framework design for the network price controls that will replace these. Scottish Renewables went out to members in April for initial thoughts and are in the process of putting together a draft response.  

The consultation closing date is May 19. 

Consultation on Future of local energy institutions and governance

In April 2022, Ofgem launched a review into the effectiveness of institutional and governance arrangements at a sub-national level to support delivery of net-zero at least cost, and the case for alternative approaches. In June 2022, Scottish Renewables wrote a letter to Ofgem in response to the Call for Input on Future of local energy institutions and governance. 

On March 10, Ofgem published a consultation on Future of local energy institutions and governance.  

It provides an initial appraisal of Ofgem's proposals and explores the next level of detail on key choices for design and implementation. Ofgem are seeking input and views from stakeholders on:

• the proposed future institutional and governance arrangements and the extent to which our proposals are proportionate and targeted to the most pertinent issues. 
• the key design and implementation choices. 
• data respondents may have which will inform our full impact assessment of these reforms. 

The consultation closing date is May 10. 

If you are interested in this area of work, please contact Stephen. 

Heat Networks Act Secondary Legislation

The Scottish Government is currently developing the secondary legislation needed to implement the Heat Networks (Scotland) Act 2021. This work covers three key areas: Zoning and building assessment reports; Key Heat Network Assets, including Transfer Schemes: and Permitting, Licensing and Consenting. The aim is to have all the draft regulations laid before Parliament by the end of this year so they can start to come into force in 2024.

We are expecting a consultation in the coming weeks on Key Heat Network Assets, including Transfer Schemes. We also expect a consultation on Permitting, Licensing and Consenting later this year. We are continuing to monitor this area, and will be in touch with our Heat Forum members when we receive details of these consultations.

Hydrogen Business Model consultation

SR is currently preparing a draft response to DESNZ’s consultation on hydrogen production and industrial carbon capture business models. If you have any comments on this consultation that you would like to share, please contact Andrew. 

SR Hydrogen Forum

Scottish Enterprise will be publishing two reports on the end uses of hydrogen in Scotland in April. SR will be holding an online Hydrogen Forum on May 16 between 2-3.30pm where Scottish Enterprise will present its findings and there will be an opportunity to ask questions of the report’s authors.

Details are being finalised and further information, including how to register for the event, will be sent to the SR Hydrogen Forum soon.

Solar target for Scotland

In response to The Scottish Government's consultation on its draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, Scottish Renewables in working in collaboration with Solar Energy Scotland to advocate for a solar energy target for Scotland of a minimum of 4GW, with the ambition to reach 6GW by 2030 as set out in the Scotland's Fair Share Report.

If you would like to discus this, please get in touch with Morag.