Cairn Energy funds Heriot-Watt clean energy scholarships

Cairn Energy, the Edinburgh-headquartered oil and gas explorer and producer, has pledged £300,000 to a new clean energy scholarship programme at Heriot-Watt University.

Oil and gas explorer Cairn Energy said it is focused on 'developing talent and research in clean energy'. Picture: Okland Foto

The funds will be available over three years for postgraduates students of applied geoscience degrees in the university’s Institute of GeoEnergy Engineering that focus on clean energy themes, such as carbon storage or geothermal energy.

The Cairn Energy Prize will also award £500 each year to the student with the best clean energy-focused geoscience project, from any part of the university.

A committee at Heriot-Watt will approve all programmes of study to ensure they focus on clean energy.

Cairn exploration director Eric Hathon said: “The Cairn Energy scholarships will focus on developing talent and research in clean energy from a subsurface and geoscience perspective, which are key areas of expertise in our business.

“We have collaborated with Heriot-Watt on research projects in the past and the university was a natural partner for our new scholarship scheme.”

John Underhill, chair of exploration geoscience at Heriot-Watt, added: “The scholarships will enable world-leading postgraduate research and training to be undertaken in the Institute of GeoEnergy Engineering.

“The award underlines the confidence the industry has in Heriot-Watt’s ability to find subsurface solutions that address the low carbon energy transition.”