Scottish Green Energy Awards show sector has much to be proud of
Underwater robots, wildcats and smart radiators – all are key to projects shortlisted for the 2020 Scottish Green Energy Awards.
The shortlist brings together 44 individuals, companies and projects who will compete for 12 prestigious categories at a virtual ceremony on November 26.
The shortlist includes projects, people and businesses from across Scotland and all major renewable energy technologies, both on and offshore
Claire Mack, chief executive of Scottish Renewables, which runs the awards, said the shortlist was always a source of pride for the industry, and never more so than in this extraordinary year.
She continued: “Time and again we’re amazed by the ingenuity and persistence shown by companies in our sector.
“This year has thrown up challenges no-one could have predicted, but some of the shortlisted projects show just how industry has adapted, creating new ways of working, deploying new generation and maintaining the infrastructure which now provides the equivalent of 90 per cent of the electricity we use in Scotland.
“Others demonstrate the huge talents which lie out of sight in renewables: the supply chain of companies, in the broadest sense of the word, which enable projects to go ahead, and in turn create economic benefit across Scotland.”
This year’s Scottish Green Energy Awards were due to be held as a hybrid event, with guests mingling at Edinburgh's EICC as normal and the rest of the audience at home, but due to current Covid-19 guidance they will now be held virtually, in broadcast-quality video. For the first time, the event is free to attend.
The full shortlist includes projects, people and organisations from Sutherland, Moray, Dumfriesshire, Glasgow and Orkney, among many other Scottish regions.
Innovative projects include cameras which can plot underwater obstructions with millimetre accuracy, a Highlands wilderness reserve which is using hydropower to fuel its conservation programmes and a heat project which uses excess wind electricity to heat islanders’ homes.
Others include SSE Renewables wind farm sites which are restoring valuable peatland, and a ScottishPower Energy Networks scheme which uses plastic waste to build roads on a vital substation site.
Matthieu Hue, chief executive of headline sponsor EDF Renewables, said: “In this most extraordinary of years it’s encouraging to see that the quality of nominations for the Scottish Green Energy Awards is as high as ever, showing the talent that exists within Scotland’s renewables industry.
“EDF Renewables is proud to once again support this event, which has always been a valuable way of both bringing industry together and celebrating the very best that it has to offer. I wish all the finalists the very best of luck and look forward to finding out who our worthy winners are at the online event next month.”
The full shortlist is:
Best community project award
Heat Smart Orkney Ltd for Heat Smart Orkney Project
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North Uist Development Company for UistWind
SP Energy Networks for Community Transport Glasgow
SP Energy Networks for Food Train
Best engagement award
Moray East Offshore Windfarm & Fraserburgh Harbour
North Uist Development Company for UistWind
Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult for Hackathon
RES for Cairn Duhie Online Exhibition
Best innovation award
DNV GL for Short-Term Power Forecasting
ENIAN for SaaS Platform
Leask Marine Ltd for Submersible Drilling Rig
Rovco for SubSLAM X2
Carbon reduction award
Alladale Wilderness Reserve
MacArthur Green
Renewable Parts
Champion of renewables award
Boyd Brothers (Fauldhouse) Ltd
Logan Energy
Nicola Percival, RWE
SIMEC Atlantis
Contribution to skills award
Jim Brown, Energy Skills Partnership
The Universities of Edinburgh, Strathclyde and Exeter and the Scottish Association for Marine Sciences
Xodus Group for Energy Transition Framework (ETF)
Outstanding contribution award
Winner announced on the night
Outstanding project award
Avian Ecology Ltd for Berry Burn Extension
Boyd Brothers (Fauldhouse) Ltd for Drive Dundee Electric
Flexitricity for BM Wider Access
SP Energy Networks for Green Economy Fund
Outstanding service award
MacArthur Green
McMillan Consultancy
Natural Power
RES Operations Team
Shepherd and Wedderburn
Positive improvement award
MacArthur Green for Carbon Negative Business Model
RES
SafetyOn / RenewableUK for Industry Guidance During COVID-19
Tom Boden, Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy
Sustainable development award
Alladale Wilderness Reserve
EDF Renewables for Dorenell Wind Farm
Renewable Parts for Refurbishment and Innovation Centre
SP Energy Networks for Wishaw Plastic Roads
SSE Renewables for Peatland Restoration
Young & inspiring award
Craig Corbett, ORE Catapult
Elsa Ramírez, Leask Marine
Gemma Murray, Local Energy Scotland
James Ferguson, European Marine Energy Centre and IDCORE
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