Prime time to put energy transition in focus

May 11, 2020
Prime time to put energy transition in focus

In these difficult times, it is challenging to manage day-to-day business as well as thinking to the future. Clearly, we have seen rapid and significant changes to business operations and our Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG) members and others are under greater pressure than ever to deliver results.

Our members have told us that the biggest business barriers they face are linked to information on projects in development, access to buyers, skills and government policy/regulation.  We will support them to overcome these barriers and play their full part in the future energy industry including achieving the energy transition.

I still believe that the energy transition needs to remain as one of the top priorities for us all as we look to the future. This time of crisis opens a door for a fundamental and far-reaching transformation for our members, our industry and beyond.

For example, with the reliance on fossil fuels falling during recent weeks, renewables have now grasped a 43% share of power generation in the UK. According to figures from the Wärtsilä Energy Transition Lab, this is a 10% increase when compared to the same period (10 March to 10 April) in 2019.

We are in a period of significant change in the power sector, which has contributed to a drop of almost 20% in the carbon emission intensity in the UK when compared to this period last year.

This is the prime time to grasp new opportunities within the energy transition. With decades of experience and knowledge, AREG members as well as the wider north east sector are not only well placed to deliver on the energy transition but also to attract investment and create jobs for the region that we will need for the future.  A recent announcement from Aberdeen City Council has set out the infrastructure that will help us to do so in the north east. The authority has approved plans to earmark land in Torry for the development of Aberdeen’s Energy Transition Zone.

Adjacent to the new South Harbour development, the Energy Transition Zone will be a collaborative environment, designed to fast-track investment in the development of renewable energy technologies. Set to include more than 30 hectares of land, companies with a focus on sustainable energy will be able to make use of the space in the zone.

AREG recognises the Energy Transition Zone as a key initiative to increase the production and use of clean energy.

This new zone is an exciting project for our members as it provides a tangible base for energy transition focused business in our area. Scheduled to open next year, its unveiling will mark the transition of our energy industry and its transformational contribution to our city’s economy going forward.

In the shorter term, AREG will be introducing a webinar-based event programme to continue to bring our industry insights and high-profile speakers to you so that you can keep up with key trends, projects, market intelligence and other information to inform you and your business. Engaging with both members and non-members on the opportunities within the energy transition, we can work towards the energy transition and face our challenges together.

Get in touch

AREG is the original energy transition organisation, working on behalf of members to empower the energy supply chain and champion its expertise. Please get in touch if you have any questions or would like to find out more about membership.

AREG has played an important role in the growth of Scotland’s renewable energy sector, engaging the supply chain and developing the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre. However, we are only at the very beginning of the transition that AREG was established to both lead and support so there are still opportunities for companies to get into the constantly evolving renewables supply chain. We look forward to continuing our work together as renewables builds on its place as Scotland’s main source of power, and as we seek to deliver real change in the crucial areas of heat and transport.

Scottish Renewables

Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce has worked closely with AREG since its formation. The recent progress in the developments of offshore wind projects by Equinor and Vattenfall are as a result of the work of the group over many years. The north-east is known as the oil and gas capital of Europe. At the Chamber, we believe the region must evolve its position to being recognised as the energy capital. Whilst hydrocarbons will continue to be essential in driving our economy for years to come, the generation of renewable resources will play an increasingly important role in providing cost-effective power, innovative development and economic growth.

Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce

The enthusiasm and dedication of the early group that would become AREG was fundamental in us choosing to launch All-Energy in Aberdeen. The first tiny show was held in 2001, and AREG’s Chairman at the time, Jeremy Cresswell, played such an active role that I often describe him in terms such as All-Energy’s ‘midwife’. All-Energy is now the UK’s largest renewable and low carbon energy exhibition and conference in terms of number of attendees, space booked, and number of exhibiting companies. As AREG became firmly established, their presence and support for the event grew spectacularly over the years. We thank them most sincerely for their invaluable input.

All-Energy

Vattenfall has forged a strong working relationship with AREG through the development of the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre. AREG has worked tirelessly on behalf of the North East and it can take enormous credit for the growth of sustainable energy in the region and the path it has cleared for the region to capture further investment.

Vattenfall

Aberdeen City and Shire is emerging as a key location for renewables by successfully transferring its world-class oil and gas expertise into the sector and AREG has done much to advance this through a broad range of initiatives. It has acted as a catalyst in driving further investment in the local economy by engaging with companies, Government, public bodies and existing projects and we have been pleased to support their efforts. Scottish Enterprise will continue to engage with AREG as we increase Scotland’s use of renewable energy.

Scottish Enterprise