Advisory / Counseling Services News
Homes and businesses in Lerwick on Shetland are set to be Scotland’s first island community to get fibre broadband as part of the £410 million Digital Scotland partnership. Lerwick joins Keith in Moray as the latest areas to be announced as part of the Digital Highlands and Islands project which will deliver fibre broadband to 84% of premises across the region by 2016.
Food and drink businesses across the Highlands and Islands and within the Cairngorms National Park area have just days left before the deadline to enter the region’s largest and most prestigious food and drink industry awards. As the Wednesday, 23 April deadline approaches for entries for this year’s Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards, sponsored by Gordon & MacPhail and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), organisers are calling on the area’s food and drink businesses to make sure they don’t miss the closing date.
Week commencing 7th April 2014 Energy & Business Services: Atlantis Resources Ltd has announced an extension to its partnership with Chinese company Dongfang Electrical Machinery which will enable testing of the Atlantis AK1000 tidal turbine in China. As previously reported, Atlantis now owns Meygen Ltd., and Atlantis tidal devices will be deployed at the Meygen tidal site in the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth following Scottish Government consent last year, and Atlantis’ successful raising of project finance.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is delighted to announce Natural Retreats, a specialist leisure and travel company, as the new operator of Cairngorm Mountain, taking effect in June 2014. Natural Retreats are renowned for offering customers and guests high quality tourism based experiences in some of the most dramatic natural locations around the world.
Highlands and Islands businesses are at the forefront of showcasing Scottish food and drink in Singapore as part of two international events. Eight companies from the region are part of an 18 strong Scottish delegation participating in a trade mission to Singapore on 6-10th April in a bid to crack one of the world’s wealthiest economies.
Week Commencing 31 March 2014 Energy & Business Services: SSE’s transmission business is consulting on the next phase of plans to enhance the electricity transmission grid in the north. The company this week held two days of public consultation in Thurso and Mey on plans to construct a new substation at Phillips Mains near Mey, which will connect to a new substation near Thurso via a new 132kV overhead line.
he marine energy sector is to benefit from £6 million in funding to further develop testing of new wave and tidal energy prototypes in the seas around Scotland. Scottish Enterprise is launching the third round of the remaining competitive funding from the initial WATERS fund in collaboration with Highlands & Islands Enterprise.
Week commencing 24th March 2014 Energy & Business Services: Following last week’s news of consents given to the two offshore wind developments in the Moray Firth, SSE has this week announced its major review of offshore wind commitments in the UK. Whilst the company has announced plans to scale back investment in renewables, the good news is that investment in a 375MW Beatrice project will continue, with further key project decision points expected at the end of 2014 and in early 2016.
Week commencing 17thj March 2014 Energy & Business Services: Scottish Government this week gave consents to two applications to develop offshore wind sites in the Moray Firth. The applications from Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd (BOWL) and Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd (MORL) were granted subject to specific conditions relating to environmental monitoring.
Wick Harbour Authority is making progress with its plans to create a heavy-lift facility on the commercial quay at Wick harbour, with contractors Gunns Lybster Ltd having now begun the work. The project, and its associated dredging works, was supported by CNSRP partners HIE and NDA respectively and is the first of several proposed phases of work to position the harbour as a key player in the energy sector, with the current focus being on potential to benefit from the development of Offshore Wind in the Moray Firth.
Week Commencing 10th March 2014 Energy & Business Services: Wick Harbour Authority is making progress with its plans to create a heavy-lift facility on the commercial quay at Wick harbour, with contractors Gunns Lybster Ltd having now begun the work. The project, and its associated dredging works, was supported by CNSRP partners HIE and NDA respectively and is the first of several proposed phases of work to position the harbour as a key player in the energy sector, with the current focus being on potential to benefit from the development of Offshore Wind in the Moray Firth.
Week Commencing 3rd March 2014 Energy & Business Services: It was good to hear this week’s announcement of new ownership and opportunities for AGM Batteries and ABSL Power Systems in Thurso. Under the new structure ABSL Power Systems will become Denchi Power Systems Ltd (named after Denchi House in Thurso, where both businesses are based).
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) Chief Executive Alex Paterson has been visiting a Thurso factory where two battery manufacturing firms are powering ahead under new ownership. HIE has supported the smooth change-over for new investors at AGM Batteries and ABSL Power Solutions, which were previously owned by US-based multinational Enersys Inc.
For the past three years the Scottish CAB Service has been campaigning against unfair delivery charges for online deliveries. Citizens Advice Scotland’s report ‘The Postcode Penalty’ analysed over 3,000 customer complaints and over 500 online companies, uncovering a ‘postcode penalty’ that sees some Scots having to pay an average of nearly £19 extra when buying goods online.
Week Commencing 24 February 2014 Energy & Business Services: There have been some pieces of news this week relating to Atlantis Resources, the company that now owns tidal developer Meygen. It has been awarded €7.7M in EU funding through the 7th Framework Programme to support the design, installation and operation of its bigger 1.5MW tidal turbine the AR1500 at the Meygen site in the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth.
The first residential course for the ScotGrad Graduate Placement Programme in the Highlands and Islands took place this week. The 18 graduates who attended the tailored business skills course are employed to work on innovative projects by organisations across the area.
Highlands & Islands Food & Drink: A cause for celebration as 2014 awards open for entry. Closing Date for entries - Wednesday, 23rd April 2014 Organisers of the Highlands & Islands Food & Drink Awards (HIFDA) are starting 2014 on an upbeat and positive note as they prepare to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the prestigious awards.
A historic north-east fishing community is the first location in Scotland to become superfast broadband enabled as part of a £410m publicly-funded project. Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today (Tuesday 18 February 2014) announced that the first cabinet bringing next generation broadband services to rural Scotland is now live in the Moray town of Buckie.
Week Commencing 10th February 2014 Energy & Business Services: As promised last week, further information on the consultation events that Pelamis Wave Power will be undertaking in the north next month as the company prepares to submit application to build a wave site at Farr Point in North Sutherland. Events will be held on Monday 24th March (Caithness Horizons, Thurso, 17.00-20.00); on Tuesday 25th March (Bettyhill Hall, 13.00-16.00 and Strathy Hall, 17.30-20.00) and on Wednesday 26th March (Durness Hall, 17.00-20.00).
Week Commencing 3rd February 2014 Energy & Business Services: Pelamis Wave Power will be undertaking pre-planning application consultation events in the north next month as the company prepares to submit application to build a wave site at Farr Point in North Sutherland. Events will be held in Bettyhill, Strathy, Durness and Thurso from 24th to 26th March.