SSE Energy Solutions has signed a strategic partnership with the owners of Peel Ports’ Hunterston Port and Resource Campus (Hunterston PARC) to provide renewable energy for the proposed development of the site.
SSE will offer the infrastructure and renewable energy to power the park’s activities as part of the development’s ambitions.
The objective of the port operator is to establish a business park that will bring together premier industry operators, world-class academics, and innovators to provide technical improvements in fields such as power generation and aquaculture.
The Scottish Government has set a target date of 2045 for net zero emissions of all greenhouse gases (GHG), and SSE has an ambitious £12.5 billion ($15.1 billion) capital investment plan to accelerate progress towards net zero over the next five years, with the majority going to low-carbon infrastructure.
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Nathan Sanders, Managing Director at SSE Energy Solutions, said: “The Hunterston PARC project aligns perfectly with our Just Transition and Social Value strategies.
“We believe in working closely with communities and local businesses to tackle climate change and this development will bring jobs and investment to the West of Scotland, as well as contributing to the UK’s net zero ambitions.”
According to Peel Ports, the Hunterston site is seen as an attractive proposition for development as it features a deep-water port, has on-site rail connectivity and is already connected to the national grid.
The site was granted national development status under the Scottish Government’s National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) earlier this year, creating opportunities for a slew of new renewable energy developments to come onstream.
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Lewis McIntyre, Managing Director of Port Services at Peel Ports Group, stated: “We are extremely proud to welcome a partner as significant and well-respected as SSE to Hunterston PARC. This important agreement will support a wide range of other developments across our facility in meeting their energy needs.
“One of the key, long term aims of Peel Ports Group has been to repurpose this nationally important port for the blue and green economies, and we look forward to working with SSE on this partnership in the coming years.”
