An Aberdeen renewable-energy project funded and organised by a community group bagged two top awards at a ceremony attended by more than 1,200 guests in Edinburgh last night.
The Donside Hydro scheme, constructed on the River Don, was named best community project, while developer Highland Eco Design won the best professional services gong for its work on the project.
And in a raft of other honours for the north and north-east at the Scottish Green Energy Awards, Lachlan McInnes, managing director and founder of Inverness-based heating, plumbing and renewable-energy firm McInnes Group, was named the “rising star” of Scotland’s green industry.
Calum Davidson, who recently retired as director of energy and low carbon at Highlands and Islands Enterprise after 31 years with the development agency, received an outstanding contribution award.
Banchory-based subsea engineering firm Ecosse Subsea Systems came away with the engineering excellence accolade for its innovative subsea ploughing system, while the Scottish Fishermen’s Federation and Skills Development Scotland shared the contribution to skills award.
Judges’ awards recognised Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks and SP Energy Networks for their work on the Beauly to Denny electricity transmission line, and Edinburgh firm Nova Innovation for its Shetland tidal-energy array.
The Scottish Green Energy Awards are organised annually by industry body Scottish Renewables, whose chief executive, Niall Stuart, said this year’s winners again showed the “huge amount of creativity and determination within our sector”.
He added: “Each and every one is playing their part in the massive transformation that is underway in Scotland’s energy sector and wider economy.”
Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Cabinet Secretary Keith Brown said: “Scotland is already a world leader in renewable-energy, with more than 55% of gross electricity consumption coming from renewable sources.
“It is essential that we continue this progress and I would like to congratulate the Green Energy Award winners for the ingenuity and determination they have shown in developing new products and approaches.
“Innovation of the kind showcased tonight is integral to our ambitions to decarbonise our energy system and as we prepare to publish our draft Energy Strategy, which will articulate our long-term vision for energy in Scotland to 2050.”
The Donside Hydro scheme, which became fully operational last month, is selling electricity to the national grid.
It is expected to generate many thousands of pounds for a community fund, plus enough electricity to power the equivalent of around 130 homes every year.
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