Week Commencing 1st June 2015 Energy & Business Services Great to see news this week that a new company is being set up with bases in Aberdeen and Lybster, creating 16 jobs between the two areas - 5 of those being planned in Caithness. Enerquip is Chaired by Andrew Polson, the Caithness native who set up AMC Engineering before its purchase by Forum Energy Technologies.
Week Commencing 25th May 2015 Energy & Business Services Catching up this week with June Love and Roy Kirk of HIE, who continue to meet companies with an interest in establishing operations in the area. Several discussions have re-opened following an understandably quieter period for companies in the oil & gas industry.
Communities living on Scottish Government-owned crofting estates are being offered assistance to investigate buying their own land, in a support package announced today (Friday 22 May). Dr Aileen McLeod, Scotland's Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform announced the support while addressing the Community Land Scotland annual conference in Inverness.
Week Commencing 18 May 2015 Energy & Business Services Following mention in last week's email about current activity at the Forss Business & Technology Park, it is good to see the coverage in today's (Friday's) press about the partnership between Abbey Ecosse and Enercon, which will see Enercon establishing a service base at Forss for its operations and maintenance personnel in the north. This is one of several developments being worked on for the Park, and new jobs are likely to result from this.
Week commencing 11 May 2015. Energy & Business Services Encouraging progress continues to be made at the Forss Business & Technology Park, which is now being operated by Abbey Ecosse.
From week commencing 30th March to week commencing 4th May 2015. Energy & Business Services The MeyGen tidal project in the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth continues to make progress.
AN excellent range of one-bedroom and studio flats with affordable rents are available now at Caberfeidh Court in Wick. Cairn Housing Association has 36 high quality properties that are available exclusively to people over 50 years of age.
The removal of trapped fuel elements from the Dounreay Fast Reactor moved a step closer with the successful trial of bespoke equipment to lift off the top plate. Decommissioning the 50-year-old experimental reactor is one of the most technically challenging projects in the NDA estate.
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, the public body that owns Dounreay and funds its clean up, has published its annual business plan, setting out key tasks for the site licence company DSRL to deliver in the next 12 months. These include: - Decontamination of Prototype Fast Reactor pond to meet regulatory requirements - Completion of construction of new fuel characterisation facilities - Material Test Reactor raffinate immobilisation complete - Continuous improvement in health, safety and environmental performance.
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) estate has measured that over 21% of its spend is with SMEs. This equates to over £330 million spent out of our total annual supply chain spend of £1.7 billion.
Week Commencing 23rd March 2015. Energy & Business Services It was good to meet up this week with directors of Abbey Group, whose company Abbey Ecosse has taken over ownership of the Forss Science and Technology Park.
People involved in the development of wave energy technology in Scotland will be able to find out more about a £7million support fund in a special online webinar next Tuesday (31 March). Wave Energy Scotland (WES), part of Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), is funded by Scottish Government.
Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon MSP has launched a new three-year operating plan for Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). The new plan is launched as HIE marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of its predecessor, the Highlands and Islands Development Board (HIDB), which began operating in November 1965.
Scrabster Seafoods Ltd, based at Scrabster Harbour in the far north of Scotland, primarily exports white fish landed at the harbour to mainland Europe and the Far East. The company has identified an opportunity to diversify and take advantage of the 2,000 tonnes of crab landed by fishermen at the harbour every year.
A NEW partnership agreement has been signed to develop and deliver training required at the Dounreay site during decommissioning work and help staff gain the qualifications they need to transfer to other employment sectors as the site closure progresses. Dounreay Site Restoration Limited (DSRL), responsible for the clean-up and demolition of Britain's former centre of fast reactor research and development, has established a memorandum of understanding with North Highland College UHI and the University of the Highlands and Islands to help close collaboration working and academic links across further and higher education and the nuclear industry.
Wave Energy Scotland (WES), a new research and development body funded by the Scottish Government, is open for business with the launch of its first international technology innovation competition. Part of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, WES is issuing a competitive project call for innovative power take-off (PTO) systems.
Week Commencing 16th March 2015 Energy & Business Services The Meygen tidal energy project continues to progress, with arrival in Caithness of the steel to be used by JGC Engineering Services to fabricate the underwater structures in Phase 1 of the project. The steel arrived at Scrabster harbour and was safely offloaded by staff from JGC and H.
The regeneration of Wick will be given another boost if the planning committee on 24th March 2015 as expected approve the building of a new Archive Centre for Nuclear records in the UK. The Highland council archive centre currently based at Wick library will also relocate to the new building where it will occupy a small part of it.
Hunt for innovative power take-off systems for wave energy devices is on 19th March 2015, UK: Wave Energy Scotland (WES), a new research and development body funded by the Scottish Government, is open for business with the launch of its first international technology innovation competition. Part of Highlands and Islands Enterprise, WES is issuing a competitive project call for innovative power take-off (PTO) systems.
Week Commencing 9th March 2015. This is a short message to update you on activities relating to the Caithness & North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership.