Scottish Borders stately home Floors Castle reprises its fabulous Roxburghe Rocks event this summer, where the audience will soak up the sounds of some of the music world’s greatest performers.
Visitors of all ages can enjoy the open-air festival vibe with the music of Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Arctic Monkeys and Oasis.
Enjoy the tunes that have thrilled generations with the stunning castle as the backdrop to a day of entertainment, food, drink and fun with friends and family.
The event on Saturday, August 5, which starts at 1 pm and runs to approximately 9 pm, promises a show like no other. Presented by Floors Castle in association with 21st Century Events at Chapterhouse Theatre Company, it features an exhilarating array of tribute bands live in the grounds of one of the UK’s most beautiful country estates.
21st Century Queen will perform many of Queen’s best-known blockbusters including We Will Rock You, Radio Ga Ga and Bohemian Rhapsody. Mardy Bums, the UK’s finest Arctic Monkeys tribute act, will rock the grounds with hits including Do I Wanna Know? 505, I Wanna Be Yours and I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor.
Definitely Oasis embody 90s Britpop with Liam and Noel Gallagher’s music from Don’t Look Back In Anger to Champagne Supernova and Wonderwall. And UK Fleetwood Mac will bring to life Fleetwood Mac’s greatest hits including Dreams, Everywhere, The Chain and Go Your Own Way.
Jaap Röell, MD for the Roxburghe Estates said: “We are thrilled to be able to bring this fantastic open-air festival back to Floors. Last year was an enormous success when we all rocked to the music of Abba, Queen and Elton John. This year, Queen’s music is back once more but with another galaxy of stellar tribute bands. The whole event is just getting bigger and better and we can’t wait to celebrate summer again.”
The open-air event will run whatever the weather and visitors, who are advised to dress appropriately, are welcome to bring a chair or blanket. There will be car parking available and dedicated accessible car parking.
A range of delicious catering for all dietary requirements will be available onsite with vendors and additional entertainment to be confirmed soon. There will also be a professional security team present.
Early Bird tickets, priced £25 for children and £35 for adults, are available now via the ticket link or onsite from the Castle’s Apple Shed Gift Shop. Accessible tickets and free carer admission are also available.
BT has secured a multi-million pound contract worth up to £350 million over the next six years to become the sole provider to deliver public sector connectivity across Scotland.
The Scottish Wide Area Network (SWAN) contract, which has been awarded by NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) on behalf of the Scottish Government, will accelerate the digital transformation of Scotland’s public sector including to some of the most rural areas across the country.
The contract will allow for better communication, data sharing and collaboration across more than 6,000 sites, including 94 public sector organisations. Schools, hospitals, GP surgeries, pharmacies, every NHS Board and local government offices will benefit from significantly faster and improved fibre broadband and mobile connections and resilience.
BT’s investment in future-proofing its infrastructure will accelerate fibre and mobile connectivity to some of the most remote parts of Scotland, helping to deliver on the digital ambitions of the Scottish Government.
As well as bridging the gap between urban and rural areas, benefits for the public are likely to include time saving with patients, for example, being able to be seen remotely by clinicians rather than having to travel long distances across islands.
With 22 NHS Scotland boards, 278 general and community hospitals and more than 900 GP practices set to be connected to the network, BT’s investment in SWAN will support essential public health services, reducing costs and increasing the efficiency of connected organisations.
Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, Michael Matheson said: “This major investment from the Scottish Government, and our public sector partners, will make sure that staff across our public services have access to rapid and reliable connections with a greater capacity and bandwidth.
“The SWAN programme will drive benefits for communities across Scotland, making sure that no one is left behind and can access the benefits of technology.”
BT Group employs around 7,000 colleagues in Scotland who live and work in nearly every community in the country. Relying on the use of public services themselves ensures these colleagues are committed to making these services the best that they can be for their own communities.
Alan Lees, Director for Business, BT in Scotland, said:“BT is committed to playing its part in helping to shape and to deliver transformational public sector services for people across Scotland now and into the future.
“BT is proud to become the sole provider of next generation connectivity services to the Scottish public sector via the SWAN Framework. We strongly believe in the difference that highly resilient and secure connectivity can make to the delivery of public services in Scotland and with our expertise and investment we can accelerate the digital transformation of services to the public.
“This contract will see us deliver a cost effective and innovative communications framework, which will benefit public sector employees, citizens and services in ways that we have not seen before.
“We have access to the largest next generation networks. Our mobile network EE was the first to launch 5G in Scotland and EE now has by far the highest levels of 4G coverage across Scotland’s landmass at 75%, which is 8% higher than our nearest competitor.
“We’re able to help the public sector to do things that they never imagined possible before, supporting our shared ambition of ‘Connecting Scotland for Good.’”
Mary Morgan, Chief Executive of NHS National Services Scotland (NSS), said: “This is a significant milestone for NSS, and for the many partner organisations across the public sector who depend upon SWAN, including NHS Scotland.
“Swift and secure connectivity is at the heart of modern future-facing public services. Robust digital infrastructure is key to successful innovation and service improvements that will benefit citizens, families and communities.
“We are pleased to have secured this long-term partnership with BT in Scotland. NSS will continue to manage the SWAN Network effectively on behalf of its members so that together we can deliver for all citizens and stakeholders.”
Speaking after his Members’ Business Debate on Damp Housing in Scotland at the Scottish Parliament last week (20/04/23), Foysol Choudhury MSP said:“The tragic death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak, who died after exposure to extensive mould in his home in England, was a stark warning of the dangers that mould can cause when not dealt with properly.
“That’s why it was so important for me to bring this Members’ Business Debate to the Scottish Parliament, to highlight that we must act now to stop preventable deaths like Awaab’s from occurring in Scotland.
“Unfortunately, too many Scottish residents today live in dangerous housing.
“The Scottish Government’s recent House Condition Survey supposedly found that 40,000 homes in our nation fall below tolerable standards, with a third of these being due to rising or penetrating damp.
“Given there are on average two people per household, that’s 80,000 Scottish residents living in homes that their own Government considers to be intolerable, with 27,000 of these due to damp.
“One of my constituents lives with their partner and four children in a council house in Edinburgh.
“Two of the children have asthma, which has gotten worse, and another has developed a constant hacking cough as a result of damp and mould.
“My constituent has told me they fear for their children because of their prolonged exposure to mould and has even had to call an ambulance at one point due to their child having severe chest pains.
“The ambulance report actually cited mould as an environmental factor at their property.
“Another of my constituents has been living in a mould infested house for 16 months with their 21-month-old son, leading to a disastrous effect on their mental health.
“Many constituents are left feeling helpless and like nothing is being done to ensure they have permanent, safe accommodation.
“Negligent behaviour of private landlords must be tackled, especially as almost half of private-sector-rented homes in Scotland supposedly failed the Scottish Housing Quality Standards.
“The experience of my constituents, who have had to move out of their privately rented accommodation because of fears the effects of damp and mould would have on their very young child, speaks for itself.
“Letting agents and private landlords must ensure tenants are aware of the ways in which mould and damp occurs and how to prevent it.
“In addition, landlords should not be renting out houses or flats that need structural repairs to avoid mould forming.
“Ultimately, housing providers should be held responsible for ensuring that the accommodation they provide is clean and safe for every resident or tenant that moves in there.
“The Scottish Government need to do more to help them and hold them accountable when crucial repair work is not being done properly.
“How many trips to the hospital, long-term illnesses, or deaths caused by damp housing is it going to take for the Scottish Government to take this seriously?
“I am asking for the Scottish Government to consider setting up a grant scheme to tackle dampness problems in council, housing association and private sector properties. We need to address both the long and short-term problems with damp housing and consider extra investment for a whole house retrofitting programme, across Scotland.
“Too many of our citizens are living in dangerous accommodation and landlords are getting away with doing nothing about it.
“We, as the Scottish Parliament, have to do more. “
During the first few months of 2022, mobile malware attacks increased by 500%, with one of the main reasons being because many people aren’t protecting their smartphones.
Experts at IT support specialists CloudTech24 have revealed the best ways you can go about protecting your mobile device from malware effectively.
Use mobile anti-malware
Your mobile phone needs anti-virus and anti-malware software too! Malware can infect smartphones and tablets easily so it’s important to have a reliable anti-malware app installed to your device.
Don’t download apps from unknown sources
Only download mobile apps from trusted sources. Do not download outside a main app store. Trusted app stores include places like:
Apple App Store
Google Play
The Microsoft Store
Amazon Appstore
You also should research the app developer online. Make sure they have a good reputation. Once you download a dangerous app to your phone, it can infect it with malware. That malware can remain behind even if you delete the app later.
Be wary of SMS phishing, AKA “smishing”
Spam texts are extremely common nowadays, with the text equivalent of phishing being known as “smishing”.
Through malicious links in text messages, hackers may ask you to message back to capture personal information, and/or try to gain access to your device.
Beware of text messages from unknown sources and be on the lookout for texts that don’t make sense. A common text spam is getting a shipping notification when you haven’t ordered anything.
Remove old apps you don’t use
Apps these days are often abandoned by the developer, and there are around 2.6 million apps that haven’t received an update in a year or more. Having these old apps on your phone can leave security vulnerabilities which can be exploited by hackers, so it’s important to address them.
Look through your device for any older apps you aren’t using, and if there’s no reason to keep them around, they can leave your device at risk.
Also, look at the time of the last update, and if it’s over a year, consider replacing it with an app that’s more current and updated more frequently.
Keep your device updated
In addition to keeping your apps updated, it’s important to keep your device updated too. Not updating to the latest version of your device’s operating system can also leave your phone with security vulnerabilities, allowing hackers to breach your data. Turn on automatic updates if possible!
This time, we will be working around Water of Leith and the meeting point is off Coburg Street, opposite Ostara Caf, this Saturday (29/04) between 11 am and 1:30 PM.
We should have enough rubbish pickers for everyone, but you are welcome to bring your own!
Harbour Homes and Cullross Ltd have brought eleven new affordable homes to Telford Drive. The homes, close to a popular walking and cycle route, will be managed by Harbour Lettings who look forward to welcoming new tenants this spring.
The contemporary development consists of one and two-bedroom flats overlooking Edinburgh’s skyline with the castle and Arthur’s Seat in view, and further afield to the Pentland Hills.
The modern homes have ample storage, ground floor private and communal gardens, bicycle storage and a rainwater harvesting system. These new homes, located on an already established residential street, are conveniently placed near public transport links, green spaces and shops at a nearby retail park.
Heather Kiteley, Harbour Chief Executive, said:“These homes offer a modern, affordable living option for the local community, including those working at the nearby Western General Hospital.
“It is fantastic to bring our new mid market rent homes to an established community, and I expect these will be sought after as a highly convenient spot for the local workforce.
“This project has been a real success, working alongside Cullross Ltd to deliver such high-quality homes ahead of schedule.”
Mark Beaton, Director of Cullross Ltd., said: “We are delighted to be handing over the eleven 1-bed and 2-bed flats at Telford Drive, well ahead of schedule.
We have worked closely with Harbour Homes, both through the planning process and latterly the construction phase, providing them with these high-quality new flats.
“Although the nature of the project was at times complex, we are pleased with the outcome resulting in these excellent new homes. We look forward to seeing the new tenants moving in shortly.”
The main contractor was Cullross Ltd who appointed the architect and structural engineer. The employer’s agent was Pottie Wilson, and the Clerk of Works was Harbour Homes.
Aldi donated 391 meals to local good causes to help people in need over the Easter school holidays.
The supermarket’s stores across the UK have paired up with local charities, community groups and foodbanks through its partnership with community giving platform Neighbourly.
More than 550,000 meals were donated throughout the UK, with almost 2,000 UK causes benefitting from the initiative in total.
Liz Fox, Corporate Responsibility Director at Aldi UK,said:“We understand that the school holidays can be an especially challenging time for families, particularly amid the current cost-of-living crisis.
“Neighbourly carries out such vital work in the community, so we’re proud to be able to support them and the charities, foodbanks and community groups they work with in Midlothian in their efforts to support those who may be struggling.”
Steve Butterworth, CEO of Neighbourly, added: “The impact of the cost-of-living crisis has intensified, meaning that the demand on foodbanks is continuing to increase, particularly during the school holidays.
“The donations from Aldi are a lifeline for many and provide the essential boost good causes need to continue supporting their local communities.”
● A design expert has revealed a simple way that you can improve your memory as exam season nears closer, and all you need are coloured pens
● Writing revision notes in colour has been proven to help retain up to 80% more information, with the most impactful colours being red and orange
● Expert Mads Soegaard also highlights further tricks to boost retention, including using graphs and not revising for over 30 minutes at a time
● As well as improving revision tactics for exams, the tips can also help adults to remember login details, shopping lists and important dates
Mads Soegaard, Founder at Interaction Design Foundation (IDF) has revealed a hack that will help boost memory just in time for exam season – and almost anyone can do it.
Instead of typing up reams of revision notes and hoping that you’ll take in the vital information, it’s much more effective to write notes by hand using different coloured pens to increase your chances of remembering them when you head into your exam.
Mads Soegaard explains: “There’s a common misconception that taking down as much information as you can when revising is the best way to learn, and so many students opt for typing up their notes to write more with less effort and save some time.
“However, it’s much more effective to write down key points by hand using coloured pens, highlighters and sticky notes, as colour works to boost our memory.
“Writing notes by hand stimulates retention as you’re forcing your brain to process the information in a more detailed way than typing. It also forces you to be more selective about what you’re writing down – it’s about choosing quality over quantity.”
According to a psychological study, writing in colour can help us improve memory performance by up to 80%, because 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual.
In fact, the brain processes images a whopping 60,000 times faster than text, as the brain sees words as individual images that we must first recognize before understanding. Luckily, there’s an easy way you can make written words easier to process quickly.
Mads continues: “Using coloured pens when writing keynotes allows us to see words as visual information rather than a block of text, which means we’re more likely to understand what we’re reading and can take in the information much faster than we could otherwise.
“As well as boosting our memory, colour also helps to form associations between notes, as when you recall a fact linked to one shade, your brain will naturally start thinking of the other facts that share the same shade.
“You can also use this association to your advantage when it comes to actually sitting your exam. By bringing something that’s the same colour as your notes into the exam with you – such as a bracelet or pen – you’ll trigger your brain to remember facts in the same shade.”
This is due to context-dependent memory, where recall improves because you have similar context cues around you as when you first took in the information.
Mads Soegaard explains that some colours are more effective than others: “Colours invoke different reactions, and so it’s vital to choose attention-grabbing shades associated with importance – particularly warm shades like red, orange and yellow.
“Picking contrasting colours can also help make information stand out more, so you may want to incorporate different sticky notes or highlighters for important points. However, make sure not to overload your notes, as making facts more distinctive is key. ”
And incorporating colour isn’t the only way to use visual learning to your advantage, the experts at Interaction Design Foundation (IDF) reveal, as you can also boost memory by:
Using diagrams to link information. If you find yourself zoning out when faced with a wall of text, you may want to write notes as a diagram like a spidergram, flowchart or table. This helps separate the information into a more digestible format andmakes it easier to colour-coordinate critical points without colour overload.
Making sure your room is well-lit. As revising in the evening after school or work is typical,you’re likely writing notes without proper daylight. Just as colour can be a strong context cue, so can light, so make sure you’re revising in as close to test conditions as you can – meaning in a well-lit room without any other visual distractions (like TV or your phone) that will pull your attention.
Taking a break every half hour. It’s easy to fall into the trap of spending hours on end sitting and writing notes, but doing so actually reduces the odds of you retaining information. You lose 85% of your input after reading for 25 minutes as it’s visually repetitive, so it’s essential to take frequent breaks to recharge and reset.
According to Mads Soegaard, some will benefit more from these tips than others, as he says: “If you’re someone with a preference for seeing and observing things in your day-to-day life – including pictures and written directions – you’re a visual learner, and you’ll struggle to retain information that’s just written down with no visual elements to trigger the memory.
“Incorporating visual elements like colours, diagrams and images into your day-to-day note-taking can help in a range of situations, not just revision – so try it out if you’re somebody who often struggles to remember important dates or personal details.
“Of course, some people do better with visual memory prompts than others, as not everybody is a visual learner. It’s important to leave yourself plenty of time to revise before an exam so that you can figure out a strategy that works for you.”
FRIENDS of the EARTH: OIL & GAS INDUSTRY LOBBIED SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT 200+ TIMES UNDER STURGEON’S ‘OPEN-DOOR POLICY’ TO POLLUTERS
Research conducted by Friends of the Earth Scotland has uncovered the shocking extent of the oil and gas industry lobbying of the Scottish Government under Nicola Sturgeon.
Campaigners are concerned that the influence and lobbying by the fossil fuel industry has weakened the Scottish Government’s climate commitments and is slowing action on the transition away from fossil fuels. Oil lobbyists met Ministers as they were preparing the Climate Change Act in 2019, in the runup to COP26, and ahead of the recently published Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.
The fossil fuel industry has made hundreds of billions in profits in recent years as household bills have soared. Oil companies are pushing to expand and drill new fields despite the devastating climate impacts of burning fossil fuels.
Campaigners are calling on Humza Yousaf’s new Government to make a clean break from the old regime and end the ‘open door policy’ to big polluters like Shell, BP and Equinor.
The analysis revealed that Ministers met oil company lobbyists nearly once a week over 4 years.
Meetings uncovered include then Finance Secretary Kate Forbes meeting with oil company Equinor during the COP26 climate conference, Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse meeting with BP and Shell in consecutive years at the opera in Florence, Italy, and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon met with the President of Petrochina at Bute House.
++ SCALE OF OIL & GAS LOBBYING ++
Analysis of the Scottish Government’s Lobbying Register and its Ministerial Diaries shows that:
From March 2018 (when the Lobbying Register began) to December 2022, there were 212 recorded meetings between Scottish Government ministers and representatives of the fossil fuel industry.
Of these meetings, junior ministers were present at 115 meetings, Cabinet Secretaries 71 times, Special Advisors 26 times and the First Minister attended 12 of the meetings.
Michael Matheson MSP and Paul Wheelhouse MSP were the industry’s favourites, both clocking up 39 meetings each.
The other members of the Government who met the industry more than 10 times were Ivan McKee MSP, Richard Lochhead MSP and Kate Forbes MSP.
SSE was the most active company with 62 meetings followed by BP with 32 and oil lobby group Offshore Energies UK with 22Scottish Government meetings.
Friends of the Earth Scotland head of campaigns Mary Church said: “Burning fossil fuels is the major driver of climate breakdown yet the arsonists are being asked how to put out the fire. Under Sturgeon it is clear that the Scottish Government has had an open-door policy towards the fossil fuel industry for years.
“Whilst the true scale of fossil fuel company lobbying is likely to be even greater than what is detailed here, this data, and the Scottish Government’s continued overreliance on speculative technologies that are designed to prolong the life of oil and gas, show that the industry’s lobbying machine has been allowed to exert a harmful influence over decision making on climate and energy.
“The fossil fuel industry has known about the danger of climate breakdown for decades and not only failed to act, but deliberately buried and obscured the truth about their role in driving it. They have repeatedly proven that they cannot be trusted to deliver a just energy transition. If tobacco companies can be banned from lobbying about healthcare, then by the same principle the fossil fuel industry must be stopped from lobbying on climate and energy.
“To avoid catastrophic climate impacts, and do our fair share globally, we must phase out oil and gas in this decade. As First Minister, Humza Yousaf has the chance to chart a new path away from fossil fuels without the industry trying to call the shots. If his Government is serious about tackling the climate crisis and delivering a just transition, it must cut ties with the fossil fuel industry and ban them from lobbying.”
Campaigners are highlighting how the Scottish Government is still heavily reliant on Carbon Capture and Storage and hydrogen to meet their climate targets, technologies which are backed by the oil and gas companies as a way to prolong the lifespan of the industry. However, these technologies are unproven at the scale envisaged and it is indisputable that they will not be developed in time to meet the need for urgent action.
In many instances it is clear from the research that the fossil fuel industry scheduled meetings with Ministers in the lead up to decisions being made that would impact their business.
For example, in May and June 2022, Equinor held meetings with Minister for Just Transition Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport Michael Matheson and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon shortly before they announced their plans to develop the controversial Rosebank oil field in the North Sea, in August 2022. The Scottish Government has so far failed to directly speak out against Rosebank’s development, despite it being over three times the size of the Cambo oil field which it opposed in 2021.
The fossil fuel industry has had a significant impact on climate policy globally, often pushing for weaker regulations, denying climate science and blocking the transition to renewable energy.
++ CAMPAIGN DEMANDS END TO OIL & GAS LOBBYING ++
A global campaign to cut ties between the fossil fuel industry and the main United Nations body that tackles climate change – the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – has been calling for a conflict of interest policy that would ban the industry from meetings like Glasgow’s COP26.
There is precedent for companies with vested interest in harmful industries being excluded from decision making spaces, with the World Health Organisation banning lobbying from the tobacco industry on global health policy in 2003.
Campaigners are calling for the new First Minister Humza Yousaf to end the relationship between the fossil fuel industry and the Scottish Government, by ending lobbying meetings between ministers and representatives of the fossil fuel industry. Only meetings necessary to regulate and transition the industry should be permitted, and these should be called by public officials and held transparently.
‘we are sending a strong signal to Putin’s Russia that the days of his dominance over global power markets are well and truly over’ – Grant Shapps
LionLink power line between UK and Netherlands will deliver enough electricity to power more homes than Manchester and Birmingham combined
Agreement made as Grant Shapps leads delegation of leading businesses to key North Sea Summit
Part of renewed Government drive to work with business to help grow the economy
The world’s largest multi-use electricity power line will be built under the North Sea, boosting UK energy supplies with enough to power 1.8 million homes – more than Birmingham and Manchester combined.
The new LionLink will connect the UK and the Netherlands with offshore wind farms, providing clean affordable and secure energy to Britain which will help cut household bills and drive Putin’s Russia further out of the energy market.
The cross-border electricity line will be only the second of its kind in the world, with the first having been built by Germany and Denmark. However, it will be able to carry more than four times the amount of electricity as its predecessor – making it the largest of its kind in terms of capacity anywhere in the world.
While normal interconnectors only connect two countries, the multipurpose LionLink will join the UK and Netherlands to each other as well as simultaneously with offshore wind farms at the heart of the North Sea.
The government is announcing the innovative project between the UK and the Netherlands as Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps leads a British business delegation to the crucial North Sea Summit in Belgium today, aiming to boost our collective energy security through new renewable energy and interconnector projects.
This is part of the government’s efforts to work with business to grow the economy, one of the Prime Minister’s five priorities. Boosting clean energy not only helps create better paid jobs across the country but also strengthens economic security by reducing reliance on foreign gas supplies.
The summit will see nine countries meet in Ostend to agree ambitions for building future offshore wind farms. While there, the Energy Security Secretary is also expected to sign a historic agreement with Denmark to boost trade in cheaper, cleaner energy.
Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Today’s historic deal with the Netherlands connects our two countries together through this exciting feat of innovation and engineering – the largest of its kind in the world which will provide enough electricity for more homes than in Manchester and Birmingham combined.
“Together with the strong ties we have with our northern European neighbours united today at the North Sea Summit, we are bolstering our energy security and sending a strong signal to Putin’s Russia that the days of his dominance over global power markets are well and truly over.
“I’m proud to have the best of UK energy firms and organisations with me, flying the flag for British business and demonstrating our world-leading expertise in cleaner, cheaper and secure renewable technologies – helping deliver on one of our five priorities to grow the economy.”
Ben Wilson, President National Grid Ventures, said: “Connecting wind farms to multiple markets simultaneously is a game changer for energy infrastructure and brings us one step closer to realising the enormous green energy potential of the North Sea.
“Not only can we deploy every spare electron where it is needed most, we can help to reduce the impact of infrastructure on coastal communities.
“We now need the right political, legal and regulatory framework to make it happen and establish a mutually beneficial North Sea grid to deliver a cleaner, fairer, more secure and more affordable energy future for British and European consumers.”
The countries attending today’s summit alongside the UK are Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway and the Netherlands
The new LionLink will carry 1.8GW of electricity, compared to Germany and Denmark’s Kassø-Frøslev (Kriegers Flag), which carries 0.4GW. It will be developed by National Grid Ventures and TenneT and will be operational by the early 2030s.
This builds on the 8.4GW interconnector capacity that the UK has – and LionLink alone will increase that by up to a fifth, meaning more clean and affordable power for UK homes and businesses.
This increased interconnectivity also means LionLink will be good both for the UK’s coastal communities and the environment by reducing the need for further onshore construction and visible infrastructure, as well as lessening the impact on the North Sea’s wildlife.
Britain’s world-class innovation, knowledge and skills within the North Sea energy sector is expected to bring £20 billion a year of investment to the UK’s coastal regions and create 40,000 skilled green jobs to Britain.
Manon van Beek, CEO of TenneT, said: “It is our conviction that offshore hubs configured in a meshed DC grid must form the backbone of the North Sea powerhouse.
“This is a view that is increasingly shared, and for us, it is more than a vision of the future. In fact, we are already doing it by kicking off this ground-breaking LionLink project right now. It is a first step and a great opportunity to learn as the offshore grid takes shape.”
Minister Rob Jetten, Climate & Energy for the Netherlands: “With the North Sea becoming the largest supplier of green electricity for the Netherlands and large parts of Europe, we are ready to expand the interconnection between the two countries. LionLink provides close to 2 gigawatts of electricity to both countries, enough to power 2 million households.
“This new connection further boosts energy security and energy independence in Europe. Close collaboration on offshore wind energy and interconnection amongst the North Sea countries is imperative.
“So in case there is a surplus of wind generated electricity, it can be shared instantly to locations with a shortage of power, and vice versa.”
The Energy Security Secretary is also expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Denmark today, which will ensure further collaboration on the transition from fossil fuels to renewable technologies –offshore wind, especially.
