The network of hydroelectric power stations built across the region in the post-war era was a key building block for the regional regeneration that has followed. World leading technology and innovation are synonymous with energy in the Highlands and Islands; from the pump storage system developed at Cruachan; the world’s first grid connected wave and tidal test centre at EMEC in Orkney; a fast breeder nuclear reactor at Dounreay; and the building of oil and gas platforms to survive in the harsh environment of the north sea, the Highlands and Islands consistently lead the way.
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Cruachan Power Station, the world's first high head reversible pumped storage hydro scheme, situated deep within Ben Cruachan on the shores of Loch Awe near Oban, Argyll opens in October. This places the Highlands and Islands at the forefront of renewable energy developments, capitalising on natural resources to bring about economic and social change.
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The HIDB quickly recognises the benefits of collaborative working, establishing a formal link with the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board in the February of 1966.
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A new dawn for energy
Board members meet with Minister of Technology, Rt Hon Frank Cousins MP, to discuss the case for siting a prototype reactor at Dounreay.
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The Board, along with Ross and Cromarty County Council, commissions a study to explore the feasibility of reclaiming Nigg Bay, near the mouth of the Cromarty Firth, for industrial use.
This study, along with a supporting hydrographic survey, concludes that there is an opportunity to dredge the entrance channel to provide sufficient depth of water to allow oil tankers of up to 200,000 tonnes deadweight to pass into the firth under controlled conditions.
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Growth of the nuclear power industry is secured in the region, as construction begins of a Prototype Fast Reactor at Dounreay, the second and last to be built in the UK. Caithness is chosen over Pinfrith, Dorset as the location for this new generation of fast breeder reactor technology, which goes critical in 1974 and begins supplying National Grid power in January 1975.
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Striking oil in the Forties
The Forties oil field is discovered by British Petroleum, now called BP, located 110 miles east of Aberdeen. The site is considered the largest oil field in the North Sea.
The discovery triggers the birth of the wider offshore industry in the region, and attracts a stampede of future oil explorers from around the world.
Forties was initially spread over 93km² and involved the installation of four fixed steel platforms. It was brought into production in September 1975 and oil output peaked at 520,000 barrels per day in 1978, meeting 25% of the country's demand for oil at that time.
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supporting investment in oil
The start of oil-related activity in the Highlands and Islands is a massive boost for the regional economy. The Board starts building a mutually beneficial relationship with all oil companies setting up exploration in the northern sector of the North Sea. Both large scale heavy engineering construction work and support services for offshore operations could create significant employment opportunities in the region.
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Discovery of large oil fields east of Shetland.
In welcoming this, the Board seek to derive all possible benefit from the impact of North Sea oil. They also express concern about the risk of unbalanced development in the region, and greatly restrict the number of oil-related projects supported.
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Developing a major new industry for scotland
Construction of facilities at Nigg and Ardersier for building production platforms to support oil sector. The Nigg fabrication yard was established by Brown and Root (later becoming Kellogg, Brown and Root – KBR - trading as Wimpey Highland Fabricators Ltd) to build production platforms to support the oil sector. The site consists of approximately 70 hectares of land reclaimed from the eastern edge of Nigg Bay, while the front laydown area was owned by The Wakelyn Trust and was secured on a long term lease. The northern part of the site was then leased by KBR, and the Nigg Oil Terminal created to support the Beatrice oilfield development in the mid 1970s.
HIDB identify Ardersier site as a potential fabrication site, which results in prominent American construction outfit, J Ray McDermott Inc., to set up the Ardersier rig construction yard just east of Inverness. The yard was one of seven similar facilities opened by various international consortia throughout Scotland around this time.
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Supported oil and gas supply chain activities include the opening of a concrete pipe coating plant at Invergordon by MK Shand.
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An embargo by OPEC against oil exports to the USA and the Netherlands results in petroleum supply shocks that raise the price of fuel, triggering the 1973 oil crisis. As a direct result, policy in the west is redirected towards increased exploration, alternative energy research, energy conservation and more restrictive monetary policy to better fight inflation.
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A platform for change
There is national pressure to set up concrete platform construction enterprises in Loch Kishorn deep water area, extending the impact of oil and gas activity to areas with limited opportunities.
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Cromarty Firth Port Authority is created by Act of Parliament.
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A major offshore fabrication yard is established by Lewis Offshore Ltd (owned by Fred Olsen) at Arnish Point, near Stornoway. Although work fluctuates and the yard changes hands several times, it becomes a major employer in the area over the next 40 years.
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Ardyne Point to the southwest of Dunoon is used between 1974 and 1978 for the development of concrete gravity platforms for the North Sea oil industry. Three concrete platforms were built there before the yard was forced to close.
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A 3 day working week is enforced by the Government to regulate energy consumption and preserve fuel reserves in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis which has driven up the price of coal. This is further impacted by the Miner's strike. Despite this, the area sees population increase and unemployment fall.
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HIDB recognises the potential scale of development and employment at Sullom Voe and Flotta.
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The rate of planning applications for oil-related activity slows down, but new production facilities start operation at Loch Kishorn and Stornoway, while terminal construction nears completion at Flotta and begins at Sullom Voe.
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Work begins on the construction of Kishorn yard and dock for the production of oil platforms. The yard, owned by Howard Doris, is used to build the 600,000 tonne Ninian Central Platform, the heaviest movable object made by man. By 1997, around 3,000 people are employed at the yard.
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Portavadie, on the eastern shore of Loch Fyne, is one site chosen for the construction of concrete oil platforms. The plan collapses and the site is abandoned.
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First North Sea oil to be landed in the HIDB area comes ashore at Flotta from the Piper Field. The Flotta Oil Terminal is officially opened by the Energy Minister early in 1977.
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shetland secures an oil fund
A Shetland Oil Fund is set up as Sullom Voe Terminal begins operating, enabling the Oil Industry to compensate Shetlanders for the inconvenience of having the terminal based in Shetland. A Deed of Trust is granted by Shetland Islands Council (SIC), with themselves as sole trustee.
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Pioneering alternative energy
The first wave device – Salters Ducks – is tested off Dores Beach, Loch Ness. It was originally devised in 1974 by Professor Stephen Salter from the University of Edinburgh, as a source of alternative energy and a response to the oil shortage of the early 1970s. As one of the earliest generator designs, it provides "some 20 kw of power". Following slight modification, Coventry University, which had helped with the design, went on to utilise a separate device called the Sea Clam.
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A working party on Moray Firth Development considers a possible gas gathering pipeline.
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Major job losses are felt, particularly in Skye, following the completion of the concrete platform for the Ninian field constructed by Howard Doris partnership at Loch Kishorn. However, a new contract to provide an additional two years employment is agreed the following year.
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Following contract completions, Lewis Offshore announce redundancies for most of their 300 strong workforce at their yard at Arnish Point. Negotiation of a contract to convert a drilling rig into an oil production platform secures employment for a sizeable proportion of the labour force.
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a vital pipeline for wick
A pipe bundle fabrication yard opens at Wick - Kestrel Marine establish Subsea 7’s Pipeline Bundle Fabrication Site at Wester, near Wick in Caithness. The site runs 7.8km inland, covers a total area in excess of 300,000m² and has a sheltered bay in which to launch the Pipeline Bundles.
The BBC's One Show filmed engineers moving a tow head from SubSea 7 through Wick.
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Sullom Voe terminal construction workforce reaches 6,000.
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The Shetland Islands Council Charitable Trust (SICCT) is activated to receive and disburse the Shetland Oil Fund.
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HIDB hosts a major conference in Aviemore: Energy in the 90s, which promotes the Highlands and Islands as a “geographical test bed” for nuclear, wave and wind power, offshore oil and gas, hydropower, solar energy, peat and timber.
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Winds of change in Orkney
Burgar Hill in Orkney is established as a test site for wind turbines.
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New infrastructure for the oil industry
A new tanker terminal at Nigg is inaugurated to handle oil from the Beatrice Field.
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The Board commissions research work into renewable energy, notably wind turbines.
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Construction work concludes at Sullom Voe.
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The HIDB supports the installation of the world’s first sea-water heat pump at Iona Abbey.
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Rig Inspection, repair and maintenance in the Cromarty Firth
Investment by the Board includes rig inspection, repair and maintenance (IRM) in the Cromarty Firth and the first Oil Rig is soon undergoing IRM at Invergordon.
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A loss of 4,000 jobs occurs at Nigg fabrication yard on completion of their latest contract. A surge in IRM work continues, aided by Scottish Development Agency funded reclamation scheme at Invergordon.
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Serimax, a global welding and fabrication solutions firm for offshore and onshore projects, open their pipe spool base at Evanton.
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a warmer shetland
A community electricity scheme is constructed on the island of Foula, Shetland which is not connected to any mainland electricity grid system. It comprises a 3.3kV island grid linking diesel generators, a wind turbine and a hydroelectricity scheme to the island’s properties.
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The Queen opens a new £3.5m wet dock facility at Invergordon that will boost the Cromarty Firth's oil industry potential. The Queen's Dock is an extension to the facilities for repair and maintenance of oil rigs.
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Oil-related employment in the Highlands and Islands continues to fall as fabrication yards at Ardersier, Arnish and Kishorn struggle, although rig inspection, maintenance and repair operations are strong, with a doubling of the number of rigs needing work.
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the final days of dounreay
Staffing numbers are reduced from 1989 as the Government decides to wind down the Fast Breeder Reactor programme at Dounreay. A Caithness Project Team is set up to address the employment rundown.
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There are large scale redundancies from the McDermott oil fabrication yard at Ardersier amongst the wider downturn in oil-related fabrication.
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The MK Shand pipe coating plant at Saltburn, Invergordon closes.
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Dounreay's Fast Prototype Reactor closes, and the nuclear power plant enters a decommissioning phase. The staged closure of the nuclear plant requires specialist skills.
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Onshore wind as a form of renewable energy starts to move from prototype to commercial development with the Novar Wind Farm in Ross-shire being one of the first developed in Scotland.
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HIE supports the upgrading of the Nigg Dry dock which is used for two contracts (a jack-up production platform for the Elgin Field, and a concrete platform for the South Arne Field), before the yard went into care and maintenance basis in 2001.
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Arnish yard closes in Lewis and is taken over in 2002 by HIE, who invest heavily in its upgrading and refurbishment.
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jobs boost for renewable energy
Vestas-Celtic Wind technology plant opens at Machrihanish near Campbeltown on the Kintyre peninsula. The new plant secures a £25m commitment from Powergen Renewables to buy 71 wind turbines, providing employment for around 300 employees.
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Following changes in the trust deeds and organisational renaming, the Shetland Charitable Trust (SCT) which manages the Shetland Oil Fund, becomes a completely separate body from Shetland Islands Council, employing its own staff.
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generating the world's first floating wave energy
Opening of the £5m Phase One of the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney, a fully grid connected wave and tidal test centre developed by a HIE-led UK consortium. Its Billia Croo wave test site becomes the world’s first floating wave energy device to generate electricity to the national grid.
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developing deep water wind energy
Nigg used as the logistics port for the development of the two turbine Beatrice offshore wind farm, the world’s first deepwater wind farm.
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a tidal energy first
EMEC's tidal test site, Fall of Warness, off the island of Eday in Orkney, sees Open Hydro become the first tidal turbine to generate electricity to the grid in the UK.
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wave hello to a new energy revolution
Pelamis Wave Power Ltd are named as the technology supplier for three major offshore wave energy projects in the world’s first marine energy seabed leasing off the north coast of Scotland. The projects include two offshore wave projects near the west coast of Orkney and a wave farm site off the north coast of Sutherland.
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Welcon Towers concludes lease agreements with HIE for an extension to their existing factory at Machrihanish, to facilitate the production of offshore turbine towers in addition to those already manufactured for the onshore market, potentially providing employment for around 300 staff by 2012.
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major investment in renewables
Developed by HIE and SE in 2010, the National Renewable Infrastructure Plan aims to identify key strategic ports, harbours and fabrication facilities around Scotland, that could accommodate large scale inward investment for off-shore renewable manufacturing, and associated supply chain. Nigg, Ardersier, Machrihanish, Kishorn and Arnish are selected as having the potential for major manufacturing.
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EMEC, the world’s flagship test centre for full-scale wave and tidal energy machines, completes a £5m expansion, increasing its capacity by a third and enabling new prototype devices to go into the water.
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world class subsea facilities
Stenman Engineering's Underwater Centre in Fort William embarks on a £5m improvement and expansion programme to cement its position as a world-leading subsea training facility. HIE invests £1.5m in the project which will increase diver training capacity at the Centre and create 20 new jobs as well as safeguarding the 53 existing jobs.
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a modern energy park for the future
The Nigg fabrication site on the Cromarty Firth is successfully purchased by Global Energy Group (GEG) in October 2011 with a £1.8m funding package from HIE to help transform the largely dormant site into a multi-use modern energy park, paving the way for ambitious plans to develop the 238 acre site servicing the energy industry, including oil and gas and renewables.
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Wind Towers (Scotland) takes over the Welcon towers factory at Machrihanish near Campbeltown, establishing itself as a specialist supplier of high quality wind turbine towers to markets across Europe.
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New £12m Scottish Government fund is established to support the deployment of wave and tidal energy devices – The Wave and Tidal Energy: Research, Development and Demonstration Support Fund – to be known as WATERS – will be administered by SE, in partnership with SG and HIE.
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the energy to learn
Nigg Skills Academy, an industry-led energy skills academy, is established at Nigg Energy Park to deliver training for thousands of workers across key sectors including oil & gas and renewables.
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A new oil and gas industry strategy for Scotland, targeting higher long-term recovery rates, greater exports and £30bn annual sales by 2020, is published by the First Minister.
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making waves internationally
The Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Marine Energy Park is established in the North of Scotland, confirming its place on the global marine energy map. The purpose of the Park, which incorporates the world-leading European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC), is to heighten the international profile of the region and its reputation as a world leader in marine energy.
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A multi-million pound renewable energy investment fund (REIF), geared to stimulating greater levels of private finance into innovative green power and renewable district heating projects in Scotland, is opened for business by First Minister Alex Salmond.
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A £10m fund to support innovation in the Oil and Gas sector is launched by Energy Minister Fergus Ewing. Projects funded under the scheme will help ensure offshore assets can continue to run effectively and safely in the future, through inspection, change management, and analysis of their future integrity.
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harbouring plans for development
Completion of the new Jubilee Quay at Scrabster Harbour, a £17.6m redevelopment project, helps to position the north of Scotland at the forefront of the renewables revolution. In 2008, Scrabster Harbour Trust set out an ambitious programme of port infrastructure development with a view to capitalising on the marine renewable activity in the Pentland Firth and oil and gas development West of Shetland.
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ABO Wind office opens in Inverness, with plans to bring forward an initial five wind farm projects in the Highlands over the next three years involving a total investment of £390m.
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The Scottish Government announces a new £15m fund to develop deep-water turbine foundations. The Scottish Innovation Foundation Technologies Fund will support the development of prototype foundations for offshore wind turbines sited in water depths greater than 30 metres.
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a decade of marine energy
The renewable energy industry gathered last night (Wednesday 22 May) to celebrate the European Marine Energy Centre’s (EMEC) 10th anniversary at the annual All-Energy Exhibition and Conference in Aberdeen.
Over 250 people attended a reception held on the HI-energy and Orkney pavilions at the show, which featured a wide range of Orkney produce.
The celebrations were opened by the Chairman of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Professor Lorne Crerar, who said:
“EMEC has been the catalyst for Scotland’s role as global leader in marine energy renewables. The growth and success of EMEC has been a perfect example of Team Scotland at work, with strong leadership from HIE, the public sector, industry and academia. Together we have created the momentum which ensures that Orkney, the region and Scotland remains at the forefront of marine energy development and deployment.”
EMEC remains the world’s first and only grid-connected, independently accredited test centre for wave and tidal energy devices. The facility has grown from having nine test berths available, to now operating 14 berths, in addition to two scale test sites where smaller scale devices, or those at an earlier stage in their development, can gain real sea experience in less challenging conditions.
- See more at: http://www.hie.co.uk/about-hie/news-and-media/archive/industry-celebrates-emec-s-10th-anniversary-at-all-energy.html#sthash.NC4f6RbW.dpufThe renewable energy industry gathered last night (Wednesday 22 May) to celebrate the European Marine Energy Centre’s (EMEC) 10th anniversary at the annual All-Energy Exhibition and Conference in Aberdeen.
Over 250 people attended a reception held on the HI-energy and Orkney pavilions at the show, which featured a wide range of Orkney produce.
The celebrations were opened by the Chairman of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Professor Lorne Crerar, who said:
“EMEC has been the catalyst for Scotland’s role as global leader in marine energy renewables. The growth and success of EMEC has been a perfect example of Team Scotland at work, with strong leadership from HIE, the public sector, industry and academia. Together we have created the momentum which ensures that Orkney, the region and Scotland remains at the forefront of marine energy development and deployment.”
EMEC remains the world’s first and only grid-connected, independently accredited test centre for wave and tidal energy devices. The facility has grown from having nine test berths available, to now operating 14 berths, in addition to two scale test sites where smaller scale devices, or those at an earlier stage in their development, can gain real sea experience in less challenging conditions.
- See more at: http://www.hie.co.uk/about-hie/news-and-media/archive/industry-celebrates-emec-s-10th-anniversary-at-all-energy.html#sthash.NC4f6RbW.dpufIn its 10th year, EMEC remains the world’s first and only grid-connected, independently accredited test centre for wave and tidal energy devices. The facility has grown from having nine test berths available to now operating 14 berths, in addition to two scale test sites where smaller scale devices, or those at an earlier stage in their development, can gain real sea experience in less challenging conditions.
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hie embraces wave energy
Wave Energy Scotland is set up as subsidiary of HIE in December 2014, to support and accelerate the development of wave energy technology and encourage investment in Scotland’s natural tidal resources. The Scottish Government hope to attract private sector investment to produce tidal power on a commercially viable scale.
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tidal on a grand scale
MeyGen, the world’s first and largest commercial scale tidal stream array, starts construction on the north coast of Caithness. MeyGen Limited intends to deploy up to 398MW of offshore tidal stream turbines to supply clean and renewable electricity to the UK National Grid by the early 2020s.
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After nearly five years of stability, the price of oil collapses. This is driven by a number of inter-related factors including low demand, increase in supply and change in OPEC policy priority. While lower fuel bills are good news for household budgets, this does present challenges for Scotland's oil and gas sector.
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celebrating 50 years of energy
HIE, in partnership with Scottish Renewables, host a Marine Energy Conference focusing on 50 years of energy in the Highlands and Islands.
Energy
At 2015
15,000 jobs
In this sector, accounting for around 7% of the region’s total workforce, including around 8,000 people who are working offshore in oil and gas