United Kingdom – The Highland Council has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with H2 Green to look into the possibility of establishing a regional green hydrogen network in the Highlands.
This has the potential to establish the Highlands as the leading UK-centre for rail, road, and marine transport decarbonization and innovation, thereby supporting Highland jobs, promoting local supply chain development, and hastening the region’s net-zero transition.
The Highland Council will contribute £100,000 to the cost of this planning work, which will come from the £2 million investment funds approved at the previous week’s budget meeting to help the local authority achieve its net zero goals, invest in green energy, and provide long-term benefits to Highland residents.
Both parties have begun discussions on the terms of a proposed Joint Venture Agreement under which a Highlands decarbonisation plan would be implemented, which will be presented to the Council for approval within the next six months.
Revenue from renewables
Following a motion passed in May 2021, Highland Council agreed to invest £100,000 in researching how to generate revenue from renewables. The disparity between the vast profits made by private energy companies from the renewables/green energy scheme in Highland and the relatively limited benefits received by Highland Council, with its sub-optimal infrastructure, was highlighted at that meeting. Members gave their approval to a draft scope of the work to be done.
The Sustainable Highland Budget strategy for 2022/23, which was agreed as part of the collaborative budget, will provide £2 million to help address the climate and ecological emergency, as well as invest in green energy and jobs.
Partnerships like HIE and the Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration 32 Partnership are being consulted to ensure that a prospectus of the opportunities that can be delivered in Highland is prepared and resourced as the projects progress.
