Orkney has been chosen as one of 31 UK locations to conduct a three-month feasibility study examining how to overcome key non-technical barriers holding back efforts to reach net zero targets.
The project will run from April to June 2023, funded by Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation.
This study will draw on the considerable expertise and learning from challenges experienced on multiple renewables and decarbonisation projects in Orkney including ReFLEX Orkney, HIMET, HyDIME, Heat Smart Orkney and the Sustainable Aviation Test Environment.
The Net Zero Living Orkney project will be delivered by a consortium led by Aquatera Ltd working with Orkney Island Council, the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), Community Energy Scotland (CES) and ReFLEX Orkney Ltd.
The Net Zero Living programme from Innovate UK is investing up to £2 million in innovation projects with £69,000 coming to the Orkney project. The aim of the programme is to support 31 places in the UK to do a feasibility study to plan, with local authorities, on how to accelerate their transition to net zero, by developing innovative solutions to overcome non-technical barriers to implementation.
Gavin Barr, Managing Director of Aquatera said:
"Over the last few years of seeking to deliver innovative projects in Orkney, our project team have gained significant real-world experience of non-technical barriers to achieving innovation in energy solutions, which include regulation, policy, finance, behavioural change and challenges with restrictions around the grid network. This funding from Innovate UK provides us with the rare opportunity to do in depth analysis of the challenges faced across multiple projects in Orkney to date, and to plan how we can overcome these challenges."
Orkney Islands Council Leader James Stockan said:
"Since the UK's first grid-connected wind turbine started generating electricity in 1951, Orkney has been a world leader for renewable energy and decarbonisation - pioneering innovative approaches and technologies; and growing a collaborative, expert community of keen early adopters and volunteers for pilots and projects. This programme will help us to accelerate our ambitious plans to achieve net zero in Orkney. "
Shetland Island Council has also won funding from the Net Zero Living programme, and Aquatera and Community Energy Scotland are partners on that project with SIC. The Orkney and Shetland projects are linked and the shared learning from them will feed into the work of the Islands Deal funded Islands Centre for Net Zero.
Neil Kermode, Managing Director of EMEC said:
"The timing of this funding is ideal. The Net Zero Living Orkney project comes as the core funding for the ReFLEX Orkney project comes to an end and the 10 year Islands Centre for Net Zero project, funded by the Islands Deal, takes off. ICNZ includes Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides working together and learning from each other. The Net Zero Living projects in Orkney and Shetland will provide insight that will help jump start and underpin the future work of the ICNZ."
Mark Hull, Chief Technical Officer for Community Energy Scotland said:
"Multiple community innovation projects in Orkney mean that many aspects of these issues are becoming understood but experience shows that non-technical challenges often block good, fair and equitable local solutions. The Net Zero Living Orkney project will specifically engage with these known difficulties unlocking new and innovative opportunities for just decarbonisation in Orkney, Shetland and the Scottish Island communities, which will in turn have replicability and application worldwide."
Commenting on the launch of the programme, Innovate UK's Mike Biddle, Executive Director for Net Zero said:
"Working with our partners in government, we are taking bold steps towards achieving net zero and levelling up our communities. The funding for these feasibility studies in 31 places across all corners of the UK is a strong indication of our commitment to creating a sustainable, greener and more equitable future for everyone. Many of the solutions needed to reach net zero are starting to become available, but making it happen isn't easy. Local authorities have a key role to play in addressing up to 30% of our carbon emissions, and even more through their influence on planning and policy decisions.
"It is so exciting to see this work begin because of the huge potential it has to make a real impact for our communities. We're eager to see the results of the feasibility studies and take the most promising projects to the next stage."
The feasibility study announced today (Feb 10) is for phase 1 of Innovate UK's Net Zero Living programme. Six of the original 31 projects will be selected for phase 2; those successful projects can then apply for up to £5 million further funding per project to deliver the plans set out in phase 1.
