With abundant natural resources, an energy and marine industry supply chain developed over decades and a skilled workforce Shetland is the ideal location for a clean energy hub.
Shetland is often portrayed as distant from the mainland. But far from being remote, Shetland is a well-connected, outward-looking community with ambitious plans to play a major role in the transition to net zero and then towards a world with negative carbon emissions.
The isles are perfectly located to harness renewable energy resources – including impressive amounts of wind – and develop new clean energy technologies.
The heritage of oil & gas on the isles also presents potential opportunities for the transition to clean energy through potential repurposing and reuse of existing infrastructure. Well-established ports such as Lerwick, Dales Voe and Sullom Voe could be used to support offshore wind developments as well as export of hydrogen and/or clean fuels.
The Shetland region has all the critical ingredients of clean energy provision:
- Significant onshore and offshore wind, tidal and wave resource
- Availability of developed industrial land for use to meet future energy needs
- Strategically important current and future hydrocarbon resource
- Established oil and gas infrastructure repurposing for clean energy sources
- A knowledgeable and skilled local workforce in the energy and marine sectors
- Ambitious and forward-looking political leadership
