ENERGY specialists from across the globe have come together in Stornoway to explore how communities can play a bigger role in developing and benefiting from the renewable energy revolution.
The conference – hosted by UHI North, West and Hebrides and sponsored by Point and Sandwick Trust – showcased expertise from the Western Isles, Shetland, South Africa, and beyond – with discussions focusing on hydrogen, battery storage, eMethanol, fuel cells, and other technologies.
More than 100 people attended the conference, which was held both in person and online. Addressing the conference, Roddy Ferguson, head of department, construction, and engineering at UHI North, West and Hebrides, said, “For several years, the Stornoway campus of UHI North, West and Hebrides has specialised in the development and delivery of energy-related curriculum, knowledge exchange and research led by Dr Alasdair Macleod.
“Our college has engaged in national and international collaborations, with the latest being our partnership with Thekwini TVET College in Durban, South Africa sponsored by the British Council where we have been supporting colleagues in establishing a new hydrogen course to deliver skills to support their regional plans for hydrogen.
“We are keen to expand collaboration with stakeholders and want to support local employers and organisations as we build the skills and knowledge of the workforce to help meet our decarbonisation objectives. We extend our sincere thanks to Point and Sandwick Trust for supporting this event and for their ongoing valuable support for UHI North, West and Hebrides.”
The conference included a wide range of speakers who gave talks on numerous topics. G-Nrgy, of Shetland, presented innovative work exploring how waste can be converted into hydrogen. Calum MacDonald, business director at Point and Sandwick Trust, outlined plans for battery storage linked to the Point and Sandwick Trust’s wind farm, which is Britain’s largest community wind farm. The event also showcased projects from further afield, including initiatives in Zambia and Zurich.
Together, the contributions demonstrated how communities facing different energy challenges can learn from one another and develop practical solutions suited to their own circumstances.
Calum MacDonald, of Point and Sandwick Trust, said, “Community wind farms already deliver 30 times more local income per MW than ones controlled from outside and we believe the same will be true for new storage technologies like batteries and hydrogen. That is why Point and Sandwick Trust is developing a community-owned battery to support the local grid and why we are also investing in hydrogen skills and training through our long-standing partnership with UHI North, West and Hebrides.”
Donald John Macsween, general manager of Point and Sandwick Trust, added, “The more that communities own and shape green energy systems on the islands, the more benefit these systems deliver to the local economy. We need to see change in how governments in Holyrood and Westminster see community renewables. Significant progress is being made but there is much more to do.”
