ETZ Ltd Welcomes Just Transition Funding for Key Energy Transition Activities

The Scottish Government has awarded over £14 million to ETZ Ltd through the North East & Moray Just Transition Fund to support the delivery of an Advanced Manufacturing Skills Hub and Supply Chain Pathway & Challenge Fund. Both projects will accelerate energy transition across North East Scotland.

ETZ Ltd Chief Executive, Maggie McGinlay, said:

“The Just Transition funding is hugely welcome and the two successful projects will certainly accelerate our ambition to reposition North East Scotland as a globally recognised net zero energy cluster.

“It is of the upmost importance we equip people with necessary skills required to take advantage of the vast opportunities that energy transition will bring and this is particularly the case in offshore wind, hydrogen and CCUS where we will see a significant increase in activity over the coming years. We are delighted to be partnering with North East Scotland College and the National Manufacturing Skills Academy in delivering the Hub, which will have a key focus of supporting young people from communities across the region to gainful employment.

“Owing to our world-class oil and gas industry, the North East is home to the highest concentration of energy supply chain companies in the UK and we must support them to increase their capacity as they reposition to capitalise on the opportunities provided by new and green energies. Through capital grant funding to supply chain companies, the Pathway and Challenge Fund will be a hugely valuable initiative that seeks to achieve precisely that.”

ENDS

Advanced Manufacturing Skills Hub

ETZ Ltd has been awarded £4.5 million over two years (FY 22/23 & 23/24) toward the delivery of Scotland’s first dedicated Advanced Manufacturing Skills Hub within the Alten’s based Skills Campus of the Energy Transition Zone. ETZ Ltd is partnering with North East Scotland College (NESCOL) and other stakeholders across industry to deliver the project. This additional funding will accelerate the delivery of the Hub and the net zero skills required to capitalise on these opportunities. It will deliver:

• New Technologies Demonstration & Teaching Facility – a flexible teaching and demo space with new equipment showcasing future green technologies and skills to students, visitors and the community.
• Welding & Fabrication Academy – modernised workshop showcasing innovative practices, with flexible welding booths and an augmented virtual reality welding zone for students and commercial clients.
• A wider array of courses is linked to net zero for full-time and part-time students.
• A learning and sharing space for community groups to benefit directly from the Hub.
• Can be used to engage regional schools across the STEM syllabus and demonstrate clean fuel technologies or lorries as a platform. The concept, if successful, could then be rolled out across Scotland
• The Hub will be a net-zero exemplar in terms of the building configuration and be used to promote the principles of circular economy construction.

Supply Chain Pathway & Challenge Fund

ETZ Ltd has been awarded £9.7 million over four years (FY 22/23, 23/24, 24/25, and 25/26) toward the creation of a Supply Chain Pathway & Challenge Fund. This will support energy supply chain companies to determine business opportunities in low-carbon energy alongside capital grant funding to strengthen capacity and better position companies to bid for and win next-generation global energy business aligned with energy transition.