Week Commencing 9th December 2013 Energy & Business Services: Partnership representatives held a business breakfast event in Aberdeen this week. HIE’s Roy Kirk and June Love, together with Stephen Sutherland (JGC Engineering Services), Willie Watt (Subsea 7) and Debbie Gray (North Highland College), met a group of business leaders to promote the area as an attractive place from which to do business.
Week commencing 2nd December 2013 Energy & Business Services: Partnership representatives were once again in Aberdeen this week. A CNSRP-sponsored business influencers’ event was held in association with the Scottish Council for Development & Industry (SCDI), and attracted around 70 attendees, with key guest speaker Fergus Ewing MSP, the Scottish Government Minister for Energy, Enterprise & Tourism.
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority recognised the role played by a Wick-based manufacturer at Dounreay in its national awards for the UK supply chain. Kongsberg Maritime Ltd supplied a camera capable of working in the harsh radiation environment inside the Dounreay Fast Reactor.
Another pioneering in-house invention has allowed the PFR reactor dismantling team to complete one of the final phases of the reactor dismantling ready for final demolition. The centre guide tube was successfully raised from the reactor core, demonstrating that internal fixtures can be safely removed.
Enabling Activities: Today (Friday 29th November 2013) was the AGM of the North Highland Regeneration Fund, the loan fund established with support from the NDA. Afterwards guest speakers Rob Arthur of Thurso Cinema and Andrew Mackay of Norseman and Castletown Hotels talked about what inspired them to get involved in business.
Local Police Commander for Fort William is, with the Highland and Islands Roads Policing Inspector, welcoming a new national roads policing unit to Fort William, which is a first for a specialist resource of this type. The divisionally-based national Trunk Road Patrol Group will focus on Keeping People Safe on the main arterial routes in the Highlands, but it is the first time a roads policing unit have been based in the Fort William area.
The last batch of higher activity liquid waste produced during Dounreay’s Materials Test Reactor (MTR) research reactor reprocessing history was cemented into a drum on 7 November 2013. It is an important milestone in the processing of the historic liquid waste created during the operation of Dounreay’s three reactors.
Week Commencing 11 November 2013 Energy/ Business Services: I met today with members of Wick Harbour Authority and representatives from Highland Council, HIE, NDA, Dounreay, Caithness Chamber to hear an update on exciting future plans for the harbour, and to discuss how support can be prioritised to help realise some of the plans. Of particular interest is the opportunity presented by the potential development of two Offshore Windfarm sites in the Moray Firth.
Tomorrow (15 November 2013) The Highland Council launches a public consultation on the Dounreay Planning Framework 2: Draft Supplementary Guidance. The Highland Council approved the existing Dounreay Planning Framework in January 2006, as a land use development brief against which to regulate and control future decommissioning and restoration works proposed at the former nuclear power research site at Dounreay, near Thurso in Caithness.
Week Commencing 4th November 2013 Energy/ Business Services: I met this week with colleagues from HIE and NDA as we discussed with a local business its exciting growth plans. As part of our ongoing focus on key projects it was good to be able to offer a joined-up approach to potential support, and I look forward to helping bring the project forward over the coming months.
A report published on Tuesday 5th November 2013 underlines how much work remains to be done at Dounreay before the site can be left in a safe condition for future generations. The Office for Nuclear Regulation Chief Nuclear Inspector's annual report says its inspection of the site will be at an “enhanced level” because of the continuing presence of major radiological hazards.
Dounreay’s radioactive impact on the environment continues to fall, according to a report. The annual survey report “Radioactivity in Food and the Environment” (RIFE 2012) has recently been published and it can be read here - http://www.sepa.org.uk/radioactive_substances/publications/rife_reports.aspx The report uses data obtained from samples of air, fresh water, grass, soil, and locally sourced meat, fish, milk and vegetables during 2012.
Police and Crimestoppers to take part in initiative to target illegal drivers. As of 07:00 hours on Monday 4 November 2013 until 07:00 hours on Monday 11 November 2013, Police Scotland Highland and Islands Division and Crimestoppers Highlands and Islands will be taking part in a national joint initiative to target illegal drivers.
Energy/ Business Services: Gordon Calder’s story in this week’s Caithness Courier carries good news for the area economy. Rolls Royce has confirmed its commitment to work in Caithness until 2030, providing a boost to the 300 strong workforce.
Dounreay’s parent body organisation – the consortium of international companies that owns and manages DSRL – is getting a new name. From October 28, the Babcock Dounreay Partnership will be known as the Cavendish Dounreay Partnership.
Caithness Chamber of Commerce has been set into action following announcments about the rollout of rual braodband as Caithness will not see any benefit for some time yet. The chamber has contacted their meber businesses but would be interested to hear from any Caithness business that thinks slow broadband is affecting their business.
The Caithness & North Sutherland Fund recently held its 3rd grant assessment round for 2013 awarding over £109K to ten community and voluntary groups for projects that will benefit people living in the Caithness & North Sutherland area. The grant body which is funded by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority currently assesses applications quarterly and the closing date for the next assessment round is the 1st of November 2013.
Energy/ Business Services: Staff from HIE have been back in Aberdeen this week as part of our ongoing discussions with oil & gas sector businesses. As previously reported there are several promising leads, based on the increasing awareness of the north as a strategic and cost-effective location from which do business.
Week Commencing 23rd September 2013 Energy/ Business Services: Next week sees a meeting in Aberdeen of the Scottish Government/ Energy North Oil & Gas Task Force for the Highlands & Islands, which has been established under the chairmanship of Fergus Ewing MSP, the Scottish Government Energy Minister. Several representatives from Caithness/ North Sutherland will attend the event as the north continues to attract attention from the oil & gas industry, both for its infrastructure and its supply chain companies.
Police Scotland is today announcing the launch of a new campaign to target those involved in hare coursing, code named, Operation Lepus. Operation Lepus is a national operation to counter hare coursing activity and this year Police Scotland will be undertaking targeted patrols in known hare coursing areas in an effort to apprehend the coursers.