Inside £9 million Scottish EnergyWorks facility ready to turbocharge green energy firms

Work to build a first-of-its kind green energy innovation hub has begun as UK Energy Minister Michael Shanks praised the ETZ EnergyWorks project.

The 3,000 square-metre facility will be flagship of Aberdeen’s Energy Transition Zone (ETZ) Innovation Campus and is a project worth £9.1 million.

The premises, expected to open in early autumn next year, will include a mixture of industrial and collaboration spaces as well as advanced manufacturing and entrepreneurial support for firms based on site.

Construction has started on a Scotland-first facility for developing and manufacturing green energy technologies and the rapid scale-up of the companies developing them. | ETZ EnergyWorks

ETZ EnergyWorks was founded by ETZ Ltd, BP and Scottish Enterprise and is supported by the UK and Scottish Governments as well as National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) and the Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC).

The UK Government has funded £5.5m towards the project, with £2m from Scottish Enterprise alongside additional Scottish Government funding, and £1.25m from BP.

Shanks said: “Our mission to become a clean energy superpower starts with building a world-class supply chain, that will revitalise our industrial heartlands and power homes and businesses with British-made infrastructure.

EnergyWorks will be equipped with a workshop operated by NMIS for advanced manufacturing support towards prototype development and commercialising new technology, alongside an array of industrial units for tenants as well as meeting, collaboration and co-working space. | EnergyWorks

“Aberdeen is already at the heart of our clean energy transition as the host of Great British Energy’s headquarters. This new government-backed EnergyWorks hub will build on the city’s highly skilled engineering workforce and cement Scotland’s role as a pioneer in renewable technology.”

ETZ Ltd chief executive Maggie McGinlay said: “Supporting innovation and entrepreneurial energy businesses is vital as we position the North East of Scotland as the net zero capital of Europe.

“EnergyWorks will play a crucial role, providing practical support for companies seeking to bring their products to market as they get on with the business of the energy transition.”

The facility aims to attract an initial 15 tenants in its first year and generate dozens of green energy jobs annually. | EnergyWorks

Net Zero Technology Centre chief executive Myrtle Dawes added: “Through the Net Zero Technology Centre’s TechX start-up accelerator programme, we’ve had the pleasure of nurturing the north east’s community of cleantech entrepreneurs. It’s fantastic to see government and industry investing in a dedicated facility where these bright minds can collaborate and drive forward the development of technologies critical to the energy transition.

“This facility and its tenants are key to realising Aberdeen’s potential as Europe’s clean energy capital. We’re committed to supporting the next generation of innovators by providing them with expertise and mentorship through ETZ EnergyWorks, combined with the funding and exposure they can gain through TechX, which has accelerated 69 start-ups and counting.”

Michael Shanks, UK Energy Minister visits ETZ in Aberdeen | Ross Johnston/Newsline media

This energy incubator has been dubbed a one-stop shop for clean energy firms to scale up in sectors including offshore wind, hydrogen and battery storage.

The site itself, which will include a workshop operated by NMIS for advanced manufacturing, is run with net zero principles in mind and 100 per cent green electricity powered, in part by onsite solar panels.

It is understood that EnergyWorks intends to bring in an initial 15 tenants for its first year of operation, a move which would generate dozens of green energy jobs.