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Please find our Winter Quarterly Update, where we outline the significant progress ETZ Ltd is making as we continue to work to reposition Aberdeen and the North East of Scotland as a globally recognised energy cluster focussed on the delivery of Net Zero. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if ETZ Ltd can support you or your organisation as we work to accelerate energy transition across the North East of Scotland. Read the full update here

The past year has marked a period of accelerated delivery for ETZ Ltd and we have acted decisively to ensure we capitalise on the scale of the energy transition opportunity for Aberdeen and the wider region. ETZ Ltd's Annual Report 2022/2023 summarises the wide range of activity the organisation has supported and delivered throughout the year as we seek to accelerate energy transition across the North East of Scotland. ETZ Ltd Annual Report 22/23 - Read the full report here.

Please find our Autumn quarterly newsletter linked below, which highlights the wide range of activity ETZ Ltd is undertaking to spearhead the North East of Scotland’s energy transition ambition. Our aim is to harness the unrivalled critical mass in the skills, innovation, infrastructure, and financial capital developed from a world-class oil and gas industry to ensure we maximise the significant opportunity ahead of us and remain at the vanguard of developing new and green energies. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if ETZ Ltd can support you or your organisation as we work to accelerate energy transition across the North East of Scotland. Click here to view the full update

COUNCIL LEADERS WELCOME NEW TENANTS AS W-ZERO-1 BUILDING FORMALLY OPENED Subsea technology and services company, HonuWorx, has today (Tuesday) committed its long-term future to Aberdeen by choosing to locate its headquarters in the W-Zero-1 building of the Wind Campus in the Energy Transition Zone. The company is aiming to radically upend the multi-billion pound underwater services market and has developed a suite of technologies to drive down the costs and environmental impact of deploying and operating subsea robots. This includes plans to build a fleet of all-electric subsea motherships to replace large diesel-powered support vessels and a cloud-based software platform that enables geographically distributed stakeholders to supervise, control and collaborate with robotic systems from the safety of onshore control hubs. HonuWorx has key team members in the United States and throughout the UK but has now chosen to anchor its business in the North East of Scotland citing the region’s pioneering subsea heritage and the ‘flagship ecosystem’ provided by the Energy Transition Zone. The company currently has 12 employees with plans to treble that in the next 2-3 years whilst targeting upwards of £30 million inward investment to support its growth plans. The announcement was welcomed by Aberdeen City Council co-leader, Cllr Christian Allard, and Cllr Martin Greig, as they visited W-Zero-1 to mark the formal opening of the building. During a tour of the facility, they met with HonuWorx Chief Executive, Lee Wilson, along with senior representatives of the building’s other recently confirmed tenants; ORE- Catapult and Trojan Energy. Aberdeen City Council Co-leader, Cllr Christian Allard, said: “It was an honour to mark the opening of the fully refurbished W-Zero-1 and to welcome HonuWorx as the newest tenants in this excellent facility. Along with Trojan Energy and ORE-Catapult, it is clear this building will be a hive of activity and it is hugely encouraging to learn of plans from all three organisations that they seek to increase the number of employees at the site in the coming years.” Councillor Martin Greig said: “Aberdeen City Council is fully committed to ensuring the city retains its position as a global energy hub and, as we accelerate the transition to new and green energies, it is vital to provide bespoke and flexible energy transition properties to facilitate the growth of businesses. The ongoing revitalisation of the Alten’s Industrial Estate is welcome and I look forward to seeing more and more businesses invest in the Zone.” HonuWorx Chief Executive, Lee Wilson, said: “Today marks another incredible milestone for HonuWorx and I’m delighted to commit our long-term future and headquarters in the city. The North East of Scotland has a globally recognised reputation for pioneering subsea engineering and we plan to further cement that legacy with the next generation of talent in software and robotics. “The flagship location and ecosystem provided by W-Zero-1 and the wider Energy Transition Zone allows us to benefit hugely from first-class facilities and join a cluster of game-changing companies. The Wind Campus is the ideal location for our company to grow and attract talented people and we look forward to supercharging headcount here in the next two years. I’m grateful for the ongoing support of the team at ETZ Ltd. HonuWorx is now well and truly ready to scale.” ETZ Ltd Chief Executive, Maggie McGinlay, said: “It was a privilege to welcome Councillors Allard and Greig as they marked the formal opening of W-Zero-1, which is a landmark moment given it is the first major investment made by ETZ Ltd. The ongoing support from the City Council is hugely welcome as we continue to take forward the widespread delivery of new and refurbished property and development sites suitable for companies seeking to locate and invest in the Energy Transition Zone. “W-Zero-1 will, in collaboration with ORE- catapult, be the home of the National Floating Wind Innovation Centre and is a catalyst for attracting high-value manufacturing and energy transition supply chain companies. That is evidenced by the fact Trojan Energy, one of the fastest growing cleantech businesses in the UK, and now HonuWorx have decided to locate their headquarters in the building with plans to expand their operations. “We are in the process of confirming more exciting companies, like HonuWorx, to the building and are confident it will reach capacity in the coming months. Today’s opening and announcement is a real vote of confidence in the region’s ability to effectively transition to becoming a globally recognised energy cluster focussed on the delivery of net zero.”

Work to begin on state-of-the-art facility to help 1,000 people into energy-transition focused jobs over first five years in collaborative venture involving ETZ, Scottish Government, Shell UK and NESCol. Students at one of Scotland’s biggest providers of vocational education and training will soon benefit from a pioneering skills hub to capitalise on North-East Scotland’s planned transition to a European powerhouse for low carbon energy. The new development to be known as the Energy Transition Skills Hub at North East Scotland College (NESCol) is designed to harness the employment opportunities provided by the transition as the country accelerates development of green energy, as an alternative to the oil and gas sector which has provided jobs and economic security for generations. ETZ Ltd, a not-for-profit company tasked with spearheading North East Scotland’s energy transition ambition, has unveiled new plans to build a transformative Energy Transition Skills Hub that aims to equip the workforce of the future with the skills industry needs to deliver the low-carbon transition. Delivered in collaboration with NESCol and lead corporate sponsor Shell UK Limited (Shell UK), the Energy Transition Skills Hub will benefit from funding and expertise as it puts young people and the local community at the heart of development plans. Supported by Scottish Government Just Transition Funding of £4.5m over two years, ETZ is investing £800,000 in the project. Shell UK’s £1.8m investment aims to help 1,000 people into energy transition jobs across five years as part of the company’s wider drive to help 15,000 people into jobs with a focus on the energy transition across the decade. The new facility will provide flexible teaching spaces, a demonstration and teaching facility and a welding and fabrication academy all delivered by NESCol. The hub will be built on the site of a disused dairy adjacent to NESCol, as an extension to the existing campus. The new building will singlehandedly quadruple the capacity of the existing training facilities at the college, transforming the student experience. Groundworks have already begun on the site with an anticipated opening in summer 2024. The transformation of the building into a state-of-the-art teaching facility is designed to enable greater local community and school engagement with plans already underway for a dedicated outreach programme. A mobile classroom staffed with an outreach worker and equipped with interactive technology will visit local schools aiming to inspire the next generation about the energy transition. The funding also includes plans to remove barriers to learning, providing opportunities for flexible training, which will allow local residents to access upskilling or reskilling courses that work for them around existing working or childcare commitments. During a visit to NESCol today (Friday, September 15), Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero Mairi McAllan joined Chairman of ETZ Ltd Sir Ian Wood, ETZ Ltd Chief Executive Maggie McGinlay, NESCol Principal Neil Cowie and Vice Principal Robin McGregor and Shell’s Senior Vice President of UK Upstream Simon Roddy to meet young trainee electrical engineers. Mairi McAllan, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition, said: “Delivering on our climate obligations is an absolute priority for this Government, as is ensuring the journey to net zero is just and fair for those working in the energy sector and for the communities it supports. The Energy Transition Skills Hub will put the North East of Scotland at the forefront of the clean energy transition, helping prepare local young people for highly-skilled jobs and opportunities in the renewables sector. Supported by £4.5m from the Scottish Government’s Just Transition Fund, it will benefit Aberdeen and the wider region as we accelerate our journey to a greener, fairer, net zero economy.” Sir Ian Wood, Chairman of ETZ Ltd, said: “This initiative by ETZ will support the transition to low carbon energy by providing the future workforce with the skills to drive the energy transition while ensuring the North East remains globally competitive in the low carbon energy sector. This flexible space will adapt to the skills requirements of the future, such as hydrogen fuel cells, wind turbine technician training and heat pump installation, while bringing in the next generation of technology to improve the experience for trainees. Equally importantly it will allow for development of the local workforce while engaging young people at an early stage so they can see the opportunities for them in the energy transition.” Robin McGregor, NESCol Vice Principal Curriculum and Quality, said: “The Energy Transition Skills Hub is a hugely significant project for the College and our partners. NESCol works very closely with industry to ensure the skills required in the jobs market are reflected in the courses we offer and the learning environment we create, with the new facility underlining the ambition the partners share as a driving force in the journey to net zero. This investment in the environmental and economic sustainability of the region comes at a time of great opportunity for the North East and the College has a crucial role to play in ensuring the knowledge, skills and expertise that provide the foundation for energy transition are at the heart of that bright future.” Simon Roddy, Senior Vice President of Shell UK Upstream, said: “The UK is on the verge of a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the country’s workforce with the aim of being an international leader in the energy transition. Today’s unveiling of the Energy Transition Skills Hub is a very important moment. And for Shell UK, it’s the first in our wider drive to help 15,000 people into jobs over the next decade to help ensure the energy transition is an opportunity for everyone.” Graphic above shows the former dairy site and an artist’s impression of the completed Skills Hub.

Businesses in the North East of Scotland aiming to enter the rapidly expanding offshore renewable energy sector can apply to the highly successful Fit For Offshore Renewables (F4OR) supply chain support programme from today (Thursday). Run by the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult, F4OR is entering its fourth round in the North East region and will support up to 19 companies through the programme, after receiving a further £288,000 from the Energy Transition Zone Ltd (ETZ Ltd). F4OR is a key part of ETZ Ltd’s two-phase support initiative alongside a challenge fund that will deliver capital investment grants to help North East Scotland energy supply chain companies achieve their low carbon business ambitions. ETZ Ltd supported the second and third rounds of F4OR in the region. Davood Sabaei, F4OR Programme Manager at ORE Catapult, said: “The F4OR programme in the North East of Scotland has supported over 60 companies in the region so far, and we are delighted that the programme has been endorsed by ETZ Ltd for a fourth round, as part of our ambition to support the clean energy transition, boost the local energy supply chain, and accelerate the growth in offshore renewable energy.” The latest round of the F4OR NE Scotland programme will be available to established companies in the Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray areas that are focused on moving into the offshore renewables market. The F4OR programme aligns with ETZ Ltd’s overall ambition to create a world class energy supply chain. Freda Miller, Supply Chain Programme Manager at ETZ Ltd, said: “Fit For Offshore Renewables has firmly established itself as a market-leading programme providing companies with the skills, insights and expertise needed to capitalise on the vast energy transition opportunities before us. “ETZ Ltd is proud to support the programme’s fourth phase of activity across the North East of Scotland which will positively impact up to 19 companies seeking to accelerate their own low-carbon ambitions. The programme continues to grow from strength to strength and directly aligns with our ambition to reposition the region as globally recognised energy hub focussed on the delivery of net zero.” Aberdeen-based, Brimmond, specialise in the design and manufacture of lifting, mechanical and hydraulic equipment for industry, and they recently gained F4OR accreditation on completion of the programme. Steven Simpson, Business Development Manager at Brimmond, said: “The F4OR programme has certainly opened our eyes to the opportunities, collaboration available, and general knowledge surrounding the renewables marketplace. With the support of our mentoring team and the weekly modules, we feel we are now in a greater position to deal with opportunities and projects within offshore renewables due to the information we have gained. I very much encourage companies that are committed to the future renewables market to get involved in the F4OR programme as it will be rewarding - you certainly get back from what you put in.” The F4OR programme typically takes 12-18 months to complete, and was designed alongside industry experts to support companies bidding for work in the offshore renewable energy sector. For more information on the programme and to apply by filling in an Expression of Interest form, please click here. The deadline for submissions is Friday 27 October 2023. More information on the F4OR programme is available here.