NEWS
Tay Cities Region Clean Growth Platform Launched Launched earlier this summer, the Tay Cities Clean Growth website showcases the mix of clean growth projects within and beyond the Tay Cities Region Deal. It is designed to enable wider project development, knowledge exchange and research, and development collaboration, as well as creating a positive environment for investor engagement. By establishing an online community designed to enable and encourage businesses, industry, and academia to collaborate, the aim is to push low carbon and clean growth innovation, while driving investment within the region. Energy Minister, Gillian Martin MSP, said, “Clean and sustainable growth will be central to our economic transformation. The transition to net zero will require innovation and large-scale collaboration between businesses, communities and public services.” Cllr Grant Laing, Leader of Perth & Kinross Council and Chair of the Tay Cities Region
Deal Joint Committee, said, “With central geography, mixed economy and a broad base of academic, professional expertise and active developments, Tayside and Fife are great places to exploit the economic transformation as we strive to address climate change. “This new platform provides support for collaboration to help our organisations to flourish as they innovate and create the goods and services we need for a sustainable and regenerative economy.” Clean growth strengths within the region include sustainable mobility, green agritech, clean energy, the circular economy
and data and digital solutions. Current projects based in Perth & Kinross include Perth Innovation Highway, Perth Eco Innovation Park, Low Carbon Transport & Active Travel Hub Perth, James Hutton Institute - International Barley Hub and Advanced Plant Growth Centre, Perth Smart Energy Network, Perth Smart Energy City Programme, Project Beacon (advanced plastics recycling), and Binn Ecopark. Any businesses seeking to get involved or find out more should visit: taycitiescleangrowth.scot
StorTera in World First for Energy Storage Perth & Kinross Council has become the first place in the world to use spiral-flow battery technology to reduce its carbon footprint. Designed, developed and manufactured by StorTera, an Edinburgh-based developer of intelligent energy storage solutions, the project aims to develop a prototype smart energy network at the Friarton Waste Depot. As well as reducing the Council’s carbon footprint, the new system will help bring down energy costs through smarter energy management while reducing carbon emissions and supporting the move towards low carbon transport and heating. 12
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The smart energy network will help PKC understand the requirements for developing Local Smart Energy Systems that can be built at scale across the Council’s estate and has the potential to help tackle fuel poverty. PKC-SEN was funded by Scottish Enterprise via its Can-Do Innovation Challenge Fund. Jane Martin, Managing Director of Innovation and Investment at Scottish Enterprise, commented, “This is an excellent example of how public sector organisations can play a key role in unlocking innovation and wider economic benefits.
“Perth and Kinross Council’s green energy solution in collaboration with StorTera’s world-first battery technology at its recycling centre will lower costs and reduce emissions.” This smart energy network can: • •
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Store excess energy for use when required or when energy prices rise Generate revenue by providing renewable energy to the electricity network Power devices such as smart heaters with excess solar generation Transfer clean energy between Council sites (peer to peer)
