King Charles III put the North-east’s energy industry in the spotlight yesterday during a series of visits showcasing investment, innovation and the region’s role in the energy transition.
His Majesty began his visit at Peterhead Port before travelling to the Energy Transition Zone and Great British Energy’s new headquarters in Aberdeen.
Across the three visits, the King heard how hundreds of millions of pounds of investment is flowing into the region to build new energy infrastructure, support emerging technologies and ensure the North-east’s decades of energy excellence remain at the heart of Britain’s energy future.
At Peterhead, the King heard how the town is using its existing offshore energy expertise, infrastructure and supply chain to pursue opportunities in offshore wind and other energy industries.
King Charles III started his day at Peterhead Port
He toured Smith Quay, where Peterhead Port Authority is planning to extend the existing 120-metre quay by around 80 metres to create additional working space and accommodate larger vessels.
The project sits alongside a £25million investment by Maritime Developments Limited in the Peterhead Energy Service Base at Smith Embankment.
Peterhead Port Authority chief executive Graeme Reid said: “His Majesty’s visit was a tremendous honour for Peterhead Port and a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the scale of the economic opportunity that the energy transition presents for Peterhead and the wider North-East"
The King then travelled to Aberdeen, where he officially opened ETZ EnergyWorks, the UK’s first dedicated low-carbon energy incubator and scale-up hub.
The monarch later toured ETZ EnergyWorks
The £10million, 3,000 square-metre facility has been established by ETZ Ltd, bp and Scottish Enterprise, with support from the UK and Scottish governments.
His Majesty toured the facility and met some of its first tenants, which are developing low-carbon energy technologies, before unveiling a plaque made from leftover materials from the building’s construction.
ETZ Ltd chair Trevor Garlick said: “It was an honour to welcome His Majesty The King to mark the formal opening of ETZ EnergyWorks, a significant and hugely positive milestone for our company and North East Scotland’s energy transition ambition more broadly.
“This regions’ world-class supply chain is our greatest strength: a source of innovation, skills, exports and long-term economic opportunity. The entire concept behind the creation of ETZ EnergyWorks is to build on that platform of success and give the next generation of early stage, entrepreneurial businesses access to a unique blend of growth support and manufacturing expertise, so they can grow, scale and prosper.”
The King completed his programme at Great British Energy as the publicly owned energy company opened the doors to its new Aberdeen headquarters.
King Charles unveils a plaque to mark Great British Energy's office opening
During the visit, he heard about its work on community energy and efforts to improve access to employment opportunities in renewable energy, particularly in the North-east.
He also met pupils from Harlaw Academy who won an energy competition to design a wind farm capable of powering a typical Aberdeenshire village.
Great British Energy chief executive Dan McGrail said: “Having His Majesty in our office was an incredibly proud moment for everyone at Great British Energy. The plaque His Majesty unveiled will be displayed in our reception for our colleagues and visitors to admire from today and into the future."