With over four decades’ experience in offshore energy exploration and production, Aberdeen is recognised as the global hub for innovation in energy.

Not only did companies and institutions in Aberdeen City and Shire develop the first oil and gas industry in the North Sea, they have also evolved and adapted their industry more than once to survive in changing circumstances and to develop the technologies and working practices that keep Scotland at the forefront of the global energy race.

In Aberdeen City and Shire, industrial capability meets academic excellence and together they are developing innovative technology and working practices that will transform our energy industries – oil and gas and renewables especially.  Our research and development base connects and enhances the capabilities of universities and innovation centres locally, across the UK and internationally.  These partnerships combining industry demand and expertise with academic capability and skills will help create competitive advantage in the wider energy sector.  Increasingly, innovation in the area of renewable energy is playing a larger part in our endeavours to create the energy sources of the future.

Aberdeen City and Shire’s appetite for renewable energy has led it to host five offshore windfarms either constructed or under development, with a combined investment value of over £5bn.  At the cutting edge of the industry and embodying innovation are Equinor’s Hywind floating project, the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre which will prove efficiency improvement and cost reduction techniques and the Kincardine floating wind development which will trial a new foundation type.  There are also two tidal developers based in the area and the potential for these technologies to supply services to the oil and gas industry are being investigated.

Drawing on the local skills base of over 1,000 local energy companies, over 34,000 employees, embedded science and the unrivalled problem solving skills, innovation is being created across the technologies from environmental science, geoscience, oceanography, meteorology, hyperbaric pressure testing, engineering, instrumentation, performance monitoring, accreditation and hydrogen transport and storage to technology development, certification, cables, moorings and connectors, operations and maintenance and onto people skills such as logistics, emergency response, standards, training, health and safety.

In Aberdeen City and Shire we are shaping the energy industries of the future.

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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
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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
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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
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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
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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