Serco Assurance, a leading provider of independent safety, risk and environmental management, plant performance and integrity, and engineering services has recently moved into offices in Dunbeath House, Forss Business & Technology Park. The development of the Forss Business & Technology Park continues with New Park Management welcoming Serco Assurance into their new facility at Dunbeath House on the Forss site.
ABSL POWER SOLUTIONS AND ULTRACELL(r) PARTNER TO MARKET PORTABLE FUEL CELL SYSTEMS ACROSS EUROPE ABSL Power Solutions Ltd (ABSL), a leading UK portable power developer and manufacturer, and UltraCell Corporation, a leading producer of reformed methanol fuel cells (RMFCs) for mobile power applications, today signed a partnership agreement to deliver solutions based on UltraCell's groundbreaking fuel cell system, the XX25(tm), in the UK and throughout Europe. Under the terms of the new agreement, ABSL will market the XX25 system in the UK and across Europe.
Trading Standards Officers at The Highland Council are calling on consumers to be on their guard when buying on the internet after a survey highlighted that 40% of on-line business failed to fully comply with the Law. A recent in-depth survey has uncovered a variety of problems for consumers such as hidden costs and denial of cancellation rights.
POLISH OR DEMOLISH DEBATE CONTINUES Following a recent visit to the site by two senior inspectors from Historic Scotland, UKAEA and the organisation responsible for protecting Scotland's heritage have agreed to formulate a heritage strategy for the future of the iconic features of the site. Following her visit to Dounreay, Deborah Mays, head of listing for Historic Scotland, said: "There is a lot of interest in seeing the dome preserved as it is a popular landmark, but this must be balanced with the critical realities of the decontamination exercise.
The North Highland College in Dornoch will be running a National Certificate in Travel & Tourism from August 2007. Based at the Dornoch campus, the course is aimed at those interested in a career in the industry and those already working in travel and tourism who wish to improve their knowledge.
Scrumptious salmon, tasty tablet and delicious drinks are being sought by the Highland and Islands Food and Drink Awards which is now open for entries. These prestigious awards, in their third year, celebrate the diverse range of food and drink products grown and produced locally, as well as industry related services.
Open to all tourism businesses across the Highlands and Islands, these sought after awards denote what our world-famous hospitality is all about. The Awards are open to entries from the end of June 2007.
SHARING OUR KNOWLEDGE Building on our worldwide links with the nuclear industry, Neil Henderson, a safety case project manager at Dounreay, was invited by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in conjunction with the Government of South Korea, to be part of an Operational Safety Review Team to review the Yonggwang Nuclear Power Plant, Units 5&6, in South Korea. The Yonggwang site has six pressurised water reactor units with approximately 6,000MW capacity and is operated by Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co.
The June 2007 site newspaper from Dounreay is available as Pdf - See: http://www.ukaea.org.uk/news/publications_dounreay_news.html .
The case for laying long distance subsea cables from renewable energy projects on Scotland's islands to areas of large population in the south is far from being clear cut under current regulation, according to a key consultants' report. The review was prepared by TNEI for island authorities together with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and the Scottish Executive to investigate the best options for transmitting power generated by island renewable energy projects to the mainland TNEI described the current situation as a 'Catch-22 scenario' whereby prospective renewable energy developers require confidence that they will be able to connect to the grid, but conversely, investment in grid infrastructure is reliant on securing a guaranteed level of supply.
"UK business needs to come out of the dark ages and realise that it cannot continue to use working practices that originate from the 19th century." Sir Digby Jones, UK Skills Envoy and former director general of the CBI, has signed the Work Wise UK Concordat backing the implementation of smarter working practices across the UK. He joins many other signatories including the CBI, TUC, British Chambers of Commerce, BT and Transport for London, committed to bring about a workstyle revolution which will make the UK the most progressive economy in the world.
Last week saw the attendance of twenty-three Caithness based businesses and organisations at the All-Energy renewable energy conference and exhibition in Aberdeen, the biggest such event in the UK. The two day event was attended by 4000 people from all over the world (compared to 2850 in 2006).
The AGM of North Highland Products in the Park Hotel Thurso was the occasion for the presentation of a bottle of Mey Selections Barrogill whisky to local farmer Arnott Coghill, who is based at Skinnet, Halkirk, in Caithness. North Highland Products offered a bottle of whisky as an incentive to farmers who completed a stock availability questionnaire.
BBC Newsround presenter Laura Jones visits Inverness next month (June) to host the final of the Big Green Challenge where four schools will battle it out before a panel of top judges. The Big Green Challenge, sponsored by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), is the first debate of its kind to tackle head-on one of Scotland's most pressing issues - renewable energy.
Plans to transfer public ownership of Cairngorm Estate from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to Forestry Commission Scotland have been put on hold for the time being. The 1,418 hectare estate includes one of Scotland's best known mountain plateaus and provides a spectacular setting for the Cairngorm funicular railway.
Interested in Working with producers for their Gates Open Days? HILFN will be recruiting several people on a short term contract to work with the farmers and growers who are taking part in the Gates Open events. This will involve planning for the day with them and being present on open days to offer assistance and promote the work of HILFN.
Thurso glassblower Ian Pearson is looking back to move forward. He has been invited to speak at the European Glassblowers Symposium to be held in Veldhoven, Netherlands in June.
MEY SELECTIONS RAISES ALMOST A QUARTER OF A MILLION POUNDS IN PREMIUMS FOR BEEF AND LAMB £4.6m turnover in first full trading year 25 May 2007: North Highland Products - the operating company for the Mey Selections brand - has reported a turnover of £4.6m in its first full year of operation, with around £240,000 raised in premiums over the Scottish average price in 2006. "In our first full year we have achieved a significant rise in turnover," said Danny Miller, chairman, at the company's Annual General Meeting, held last night at the Park Hotel, Thurso.
SPHERE'S POLAR CRANE READY TO DECOMMISSION REACTOR Holding centre stage within the historic Dounreay sphere is the unique Goliath crane, one of the first polar cranes in the world. Installed fifty years ago in the Dounreay Fast Reactor (DFR), the original crane was in need of renovation in order to bring it up to the modern standards required to decommission and dismantle the reactor and ancillary plant inside the dome.
For Pdf version of the Dounreay Site Newspaper see - [http://www.ukaea.org.uk/news/publications_dounreay_news.html]http://www.ukaea.org.uk/news/publications_dounreay_news.html[/url].
