North-East Scotland is home the highest concentration of energy supply chain companies in anywhere in the UK. These cluster of companies have displayed a resolute entrepreneurial spirit for the last fifty years and are the internationally recognised back bone of this region’s oil and gas industry.
The supply chain, and highly skilled and innovative people they employ, are the very lifeblood of our sector and the most important asset we have in our ability to capitalise on the vast opportunities afforded by new and green energies.
That is why ETZ Ltd, the not-for-profit company tasked with spearheading this region’s energy transition, is taking forward a range of targeted initiatives through our dedicated ‘Pathway’ approach ensuring supply chain companies are provided with the support they need to diversify their offering toward the low-carbon sector.
© Supplied by ETZFirstly, we continue to deliver a range of programmes for supply chain companies informing them of low carbon energy developer and operator opportunities, domestically and internationally, offering guidance on how they can establish a successful commercial approach to capitalise on them.
To date, we have engaged directly with over 800 individuals representing these companies through our themed masterclasses on priorities such as offshore wind, carbon capture and hydrogen. These have proved hugely popular, and we are currently rolling out a series of mini masterclasses, in conjunction with Scottish Enterprise, on manufacturing opportunities in the offshore wind sector at a subcomponent level.
Depending on your business needs, your company’s journey can take many routes along the Energy Transition Pathway. We offer several sub-programs which focus on internationalisation knowledge exchange to ensure export capabilities, tailored digitisation workshops and the Fit 4 Offshore Renewables programme in partnership with ORE Catapult.
Secondly, we have established the ETZ Challenge Fund which offers capital investment grants of up to £250k to support high-growth potential energy supply chain companies across Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray. These grants go toward new facilities, equipment installation, and existing industry upgrades including digital infrastructure to accelerate market entry into low carbon sectors and support business growth and create new jobs.
This targeted initiative, supported by Scottish Government Just Transition funding, has already provided £3.4 million to 24 companies across the region, helping them diversify to capitalise on opportunities in the low carbon sector. This has unlocked an additional £5.8 million in private sector contributions evidencing the clear appetite for transition across the region. Applications are now open for the latest tranche of The Challenge Fund which closes on April 9th 2024.
ETZ Ltd is has a clear aim to reposition the North East of Scotland as an internationally recognised energy cluster focussed on the delivery of net zero. Our continued, unrivalled and steadfast support for the supply chain, is making a significant contribution to fully realising it.
Get in touch with information@etzltd.com to find out more about our programmes.
