Weeks commencing 27th July and 3rd august 2015 Energy & Business Services Further good coverage this week for the ongoing activity at Scrabster Harbour, which has had a record month for Oil & Gas traffic through the port. This increased level of business for Scrabster Harbour Trust is also having a welcome impact on Wick John O' Groats airport, which oil & gas crews are using for crew transfers.
A ceremonial turf cutting ceremony marked the official start of building work on the new archive that will store nuclear records from across the UK. David Flear, chairman of the Dounreay Stakeholder Group, dug into the ground at the Wick site where the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's Nuclear Archive will start to take shape over the next 12 months.
DSRL have announced the new managing director designate, Phil Craig. With more than 20 years' experience in the nuclear industry, Phil’s career has focused on supporting the UK nuclear decommissioning, defence and existing power generation sectors.
UKAEA has been selected to supply the Hot Cell Remote Handling Facility for the new €1.8 billion European Spallation Source (ESS). ESS is currently under construction in Sweden.
Week Commencing 20th July 2015 Energy & Business Services The Ministry of Defence's Naval Reactor Test Establishment (NRTE) at Vulcan saw its test reactor shut down for the last time this week, marking the first time in around 60 years that there has not been an operational reactor in Caithness. The facility beside the Dounreay site is operated for the MoD by Rolls Royce.
Twelve students successfully completed the Ready Steady Work course held in early July. The four day course sponsored by DSRL and North Highland College was offered to all senior secondary schools in Wick, Thurso and Farr.
Week Commencing 13th July 2015 Energy & Business Services Good to catch up this week with Louise Smith of Caithness Renewables, and to hear the welcome news that the project she has been working on with Caithness Voluntary Group and Transition Black Isle has taken a big step forward. ACTION Highland Highway has been awarded £35,000 from CNSRP partner Scottish Government's Local Energy Challenge Fund in order to help establish a network of electric vehicle charging points, using an innovative link with Denchi Power, who supply batteries for use by the Ministry of Defence.
The contract applies to twelve sites throughout the UK managed by the decommissioning company Magnox Ltd as well as the nuclear site at Dounreay in Caithness, Scotland, Radioactive Waste Management Limited's site in Harwell and the Low-Level Waste Repository in West Cumbria. A number of segments make up the contrac.
Caberfeidh Court. Caberfeidh Court is situated in a quiet residential area in Wellington Avenue in Wick and is available for people aged 50 or over.
Week commencing 29 June 2015. Energy & Business Services A reminder that next week will see Marine Scotland colleagues in the area to run consultation events on the Pentland Firth & Orkney Waters Marine Spatial Plan.
Week Commencing 22 June 2015. Energy & Business Services Following their attendance at last week's Wick RNLI Open Day this week's Caithness Courier carries a piece on the team from Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd (BOWL), who took a stand at the event to promote the project.
Caithness Chamber of Commerce and Caithness Transport Forum have long been concerned about the economic impact of the Berriedale Braes on the region and are now calling on the Scottish Government to commit to funding a solution this year. "For too long, the Scottish Government has ignored the impact the Berriedale Braes has on those living and working in the North of Scotland and Orkney Isles," said Chamber chief executive Trudy Morris, who also chairs the Transport Forum.
Week commencing 15th June 2015 Energy & Business Services Good to meet representatives from SSE Power Distribution in Thurso this week as they undertook a final consultation on the proposed route for the new high voltage overhead line from a new substation at Thurso to a new substation at Philips Mains near Mey. The project has been the subject of three separate consultation phases since June 2011, and this phase shows how previous comments on the route have been taken into account before an application for consent is submitted to Highland Council this summer.
Caithness Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that it is now accepting entries for the George Bruce Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2015. Now in its sixth year, the award aims to highlight a young, local businessperson who has displayed the necessary drive and determination to make their business a success.
Week commencing 8th June 2015 Energy & Business Services Good to see today's John O'Groat Journal piece welcoming the current survey work being carried out at Wick Harbour using a jack-up barge. The survey work is being used to support the design of onshore Operation & Maintenance (O&M) facilities for the Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd (BOWL) project in the Moray Firth.
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.
A major programme milestone has been achieved with the placement of the first low level waste disposed into the new Low Level Waste Facilities at Dounreay. DSRL were granted planning permission to construct up to six vaults in April 2009.
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.