environment – Page 84 – The NEN

Swimming safely in Scotland

Our bathing waters start 2021 season with 94% achieving strict environmental standards

94% of Scotland’s designated bathing waters have been rated sufficient or better by SEPA for the 2021 season.
More bathing waters (34%) have been rated as ‘excellent’ since tighter standards first came into force in 2015.
Half as many bathing waters rated as ‘poor’ than in 2019.
Partnership projects are currently underway to maintain progress and further improve bathing waters including the 5 rated as ‘poor.’

Scotland’s bathing water season officially began yesterday (1 June) in what is shaping up to be a busy year for the country’s beautiful beaches.

With 2021 the year of the staycation more people will be visiting our shorelines, and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is encouraging everyone to know where they can find information on their favourite bathing location – and what they can do to help protect our water environment while they are there.

This season Scotland has more bathing waters rated as excellent, good or sufficient than at any point since tighter standards first came into force in 2015 – with 94% achieving one of the three grades. There are also half as many bathing waters rated poor as there were in 2019 – down to five from the 10 two years ago.

Scotland currently has 85 designated bathing waters, where SEPA monitors water quality during the season, which runs until 15 September. Sampling results are published online, and SEPA also has daily water quality predictions for 28 beaches which are available on its website by 10am daily. This enables visitors to decide whether their activities will include bathing, or if they will just enjoy on-shore activities.

One of the biggest impacts on the water quality at bathing waters is the weather, especially heavy rain. Because of this swimming is not advised at any bathing water during, or one to two days after, heavy rainfall as there is always a risk that water pollution may occur. This can be as a result of urban and agricultural run-off and sewerage sources.

Due to SEPA’s ongoing recovery from a complex and sophisticated cyber-attack in December 2020, the agency’s network of 29 electronic beach signs will not be fully operational for the start of season. Work is ongoing to re-introduce these over the next few weeks, and the same information is currently available on SEPA’s website.

Samples taken across the season are also used to calculate the general water quality classification for display at the start of the following season. Classifications are excellent, good, sufficient and poor, and are based on four years of monitoring data.

Due to a shortened bathing water season in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, it was not possible to collect the required number of samples to provide a classification. As a result each bathing water will retain the classification set at the end of 2019 – 29 Excellent; 31 good; 20 sufficient; 5 poor.

Terry A’Hearn, SEPA Chief Executive, said: “Protecting and improving our bathing waters is crucial for our environment, local economies and communities.

“We hope Scotland’s weather will enable both residents and visitors to enjoy our seaside resorts and beaches over the summer months, and with 94% of our beaches already meeting strict environmental standards, it’s great to see that there has been a continued general improvement in Scotland’s classifications over the last few years.

“While this is good progress, we understand that some local communities will be disappointed, as we are, that there are five bathing waters which have been rated as poor. Although it is important to remember that a ‘poor’ classification does not mean that water quality is poor every day – and these are still fantastic beaches to visit – SEPA is committed to the challenge of building on the progress Scotland has made and bringing all of our bathing waters up to ‘sufficient’ or better. We encourage you to look at our daily bathing water predictions.

“We continue to work with Scottish Government and our key partner organisations to help all of Scotland’s bathing waters improve in future years. Work is progressing through further investment and infrastructure improvements, along with managing pressures from rural and diffuse pollution and by engaging with communities.”

Improving water quality

All across Scotland, SEPA seeks to protect watercourses through licensing, inspection and regulation of discharges, advice and guidance to the public, industry, developers and local authorities, and pollution incident response.

SEPA officers have undertaken a series of pre-season inspections at key assets and locations across the country and will continue to monitor key locations throughout the season.

Unfortunately wet weather can have a negative impact on bathing waters. This is due to combined sewer overflows (CSOs) – which are designed to discharge diluted but minimally treated sewage to watercourses and coastal waters to prevent flooding – and run off from rural and urban environments (known as diffuse pollution). As a result SEPA advises against bathing for up to two days after heavy rain due to the risk of poor water quality.

SEPA continues to work closely with Scottish Government and Scottish Water to ensure that planned capital investment programmes aimed at upgrading sewerage infrastructure throughout the country are prioritised to maximise environmental benefits.

In addition, partnership with NFUS and Farming and Water Scotland allows us to work closely with farmers and land managers to provide advice and guidance so they can continue to minimise the impact land run-off can have on the rivers that flow into our bathing waters.

Help improve our beaches and coastlines

Visitors to Scotland’s beaches can also help to protect our water environment. SEPA supports Keep Scotland Beautiful’s (KSB) My Beach, Your Beach campaign.

Waste from animals or litter isn’t just unsightly but can have a negative impact on the water quality so we encourage the public to follow KSB’s advice to take litter home, to clean up after their dogs and to avoid feeding the gulls, ensuring a good beach experience for everyone who visits.

Find out more at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/mybeachyourbeach

It’s also important that people understand the impacts what they flush away can have on the environment. Blockages can be caused by inappropriate items being flushed down toilets and poured down sinks – including fats, oils, greases and wipes. Whether you’re at home or on holiday, Scottish Water provides advice on how to protect the internal sewer network and Scotland’s water environment at www.scottishwater.co.uk/cycle.

More work underway

While there has been a positive upwards trend in Scotland’s bathing water quality due to focussed improvement plans and strong partnership working, there are a small number of beaches where poor water quality has been an issue for several years.

We have seen before how improvement projects have had a positive impact at beaches with historically poor classifications being rated as excellent, good or sufficient for the first time since 2015:

2019: Heads of Ayr (2021 excellent), Sandyhills (2021 good), Kinghorn (Harbour) (2021 sufficient) and Cruden Bay (2021 good)
2018: Portobello (West) (2021 sufficient)
2017: Nairn (East) (2021 sufficient) Nairn (Central) (2021 good)

Fisherrow Sands

As in 2020, Fisherrow Sands is not a designated bathing water this season. Despite making progress in the area to improve bathing water quality, Fisherrow Sands ended the 2019 bathing water season with a fifth ‘poor’ water quality classification.

Whilst this does not mean the beach is closed, it does mean general advice against bathing still applies at this location. Beach users may continue to make their own decisions as to whether they wish to swim.

SEPA will continue to engage with local community representatives about our monitoring work and all other actions focussing on improving the water quality in this location so that the advice against bathing may be withdrawn in future.

Ayr (South Beach)

Ayr (South Beach) currently has four poor classifications. If a poor classification is given after the 2021 season it would not be listed as a designated Bathing Water in 2022 and would have general advice against bathing displayed at the beach.

Work is currently ongoing to improve water quality and all partners are making every effort to ensure that Ayr (South Beach) meets the standard in 2021.

Since 2019, SEPA has had a targeted priority improvement plan in place at Ayr (South Beach), working with partners and regulated operators to focus efforts to protect and improve the bathing water status. Our combined resources and actions with key partners are designed to tackle all the issues which contribute to poor bathing water quality and ensure that the identified improvements are delivered and de-designation is not required.

Poorer water quality is mainly driven by rainfall and so water quality is often good – particularly during dry sunny periods. Although Ayr (South Beach) was classified ‘Poor’ overall in 2019, over 60% of the sample days showed acceptable levels.

2020/2021 results in full

	2020/2021
Highland and Islands – 8 excellent, 6 good, 2 sufficient, 0 poor
Achmelvich	Excellent
Dores	Good
Dornoch	Excellent
Dunnet	Excellent
Ettrick Bay	Good
Findhorn	Excellent
Gairloch Beach	Excellent
Ganavan	Excellent
Loch Morlich	Excellent
Lossiemouth (East)	Sufficient
Machrihanish	Good
Nairn (Central)	Good
Nairn (East)	Sufficient
Rosemarkie	Good
Sand Beach	Excellent
Thurso	Good

Lothian, mid Scotland and Fife – 6 excellent, 5 good, 5 sufficient, 0 poor
Aberdour (Silversands)	Good
Aberdour Harbour (Black Sands)	Sufficient
Anstruther (Billow Ness)	Excellent
Burntisland	Good
Crail (Roome Bay)	Excellent
Elie (Harbour) and Earlsferry	Excellent
Elie (Ruby Bay)	Excellent
Kinghorn (Harbour Beach)	Sufficient
Kinghorn (Pettycur)	Good
Kingsbarns	Excellent
Kirkcaldy (Seafield)	Good
Leven	Sufficient
Portobello (Central)	Sufficient
Portobello (West)	Sufficient
St Andrews (East Sands)	Good
St Andrews (West Sands)	Excellent

North East Scotland – 7 excellent, 9 good, 1 sufficient, 0 poor
Aberdeen	Good
Arbroath (West Links)	Good
Balmedie	Excellent
Broughty Ferry	Excellent
Carnoustie	Good
Collieston	Good
Cruden Bay	Good
Cullen Bay	Good
Fraserburgh (Philorth)	Excellent
Fraserburgh (Tiger Hill)	Good
Inverboyndie	Sufficient
Lunan Bay	Excellent
Monifieth	Good
Montrose	Excellent
Peterhead (Lido)	Excellent
Rosehearty	Excellent
Stonehaven	Good

Solway – 0 excellent, 3 good, 1 sufficient, 3 poor
Brighouse Bay	Poor
Carrick	Sufficient
Dhoon Bay	Poor
Mossyard	Good
Rockcliffe	Poor
Sandyhills	Good
Southerness	Good

South East Scotland – 7 excellent, 4 good, 4 sufficient, 0 poor
Broad Sands	Good
Coldingham	Excellent
Dunbar (Belhaven)	Good
Dunbar (East)	Excellent
Eyemouth	Sufficient
Gullane	Excellent
Longniddry	Good
North Berwick (Milsey Bay)	Sufficient
North Berwick (West)	Sufficient
Pease Bay	Excellent
Seacliff	Excellent
Seton Sands	Sufficient
Thorntonloch	Excellent
Whitesands	Excellent
Yellow Craig	Good

West Scotland – 1 excellent, 3 good, 9 sufficient, 1 poor
Ayr (South Beach)	Poor
Culzean	Sufficient
Girvan	Sufficient
Heads of Ayr	Excellent
Irvine	Sufficient
Largs (Pencil Beach)	Sufficient
Lunderston Bay	Good
Luss Bay	Sufficient
Maidens	Sufficient
Millport Bay	Good
Prestwick	Good
Saltcoats/Ardrossan	Sufficient
Seamill	Sufficient
Troon (South Beach)	Sufficient

Royal seal of approval for Starbank Park

Latest Green Space Index launched by Fields in Trust

Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge launched the latest Green Space Index yesterday during a visit to Starbank Park.

The visit came ahead of COP26, which will be taking place in Glasgow later this year, with today’s event one of a number of projects with a positive effect on climate change that The Duke and Duchess have visited across Scotland.

Urban parks and green spaces boost air quality, support habitats and mitigate the effects of climate change.

The Green Space Index is Fields in Trust’s annual barometer of publicly accessible local park and green space provision. First launched in 2019, this third release once again highlights the inequities in provision across Britain.

Despite their value for health, wellbeing, community and environment, some parts of Britain have access to half the green space as others – Scots enjoy 38.18 sqm of provision per person whilst for residents in London the figure falls to just 19.53 sqm.

Seven of the nine English regions do not meet a minimum standard of green space provision as measured by the GSI Score, and whilst both Scotland and Wales do meet this minimum standard their scores have both fallen over the last twelve months.

Areas with the least provision tend to be those with a higher incidence of deprivation – precisely the communities who benefit most from green space access.

Across Britain, 2.78 million people live further than a ten-minute walk from their nearest park or green space. That’s the finding of the latest Green Space Index which reveals that, despite their vital role in the nation’s wellbeing during lockdown, our much loved local parks are not equally accessible to all.

The findings of the Index were reviewed by Fields in Trust President, HRH The Duke of Cambridge who was visiting Starbank Park with HRH The Duchess of Cambridge as part of their tour of Scotland.

The Duke and Duchess met volunteers from the Friends of Starbank Park and local residents of all ages for whom the park was a sanctuary during the coronavirus lockdowns as a place to play, exercise, relax and reflect.

Yesterday’s event also saw Edinburgh’s Lord Provost, Frank Ross, unveil a new commitment by The City of Edinburgh Council which will ensure almost everyone in the city lives no more than a ten-minute walk from a green space which is legally protected for good.

Starbank Park is one of 34 already protected with Fields in Trust by The City of Edinburgh Council and today’s announcement by the Lord Provost means that figure is set to grow.

The Council will protect a further 25 green spaces, serving communities who do not already have a protected space close to home, to ensure almost everyone in the city lives no more than a ten-minute walk from a park or green space which is protected for good.

Edinburgh’s Lord Provost, Frank Ross, said: “Edinburgh is already a wonderfully green city, and we want to ensure it remains that way for generations to come.

“I’m extremely pleased to announce that the City of Edinburgh Council will be looking to partner with Fields in Trust in protecting in perpetuity a further 25 green spaces – adding to the 34 already protected.

“This will mean that almost everyone in Edinburgh will be within a ten-minute walk of a protected green space, ensuring that for years to come citizens are guaranteed a lifetime of opportunity for activity, play, learning, recuperation and community.

“Scores of volunteers across the city work alongside the Council to support our parks, green spaces and cemeteries. We are very grateful to Friends of Starbank Park their ongoing hard work and dedication and we will continue to work with them to make sure these important areas are preserved for the benefit of our future generations.”

The City of Edinburgh Council will protect a further 25 green spaces for good – taking their total to 59 local parks – to ensure nearly all the city’s residents live no more than a ten-minute walk from a protected green space.

In taking this commitment the city council has become the first local authority in Scotland to adopt such a bold vision for their green spaces and follows in the footsteps of Liverpool City Council.

Discover the Green Space Index findings near you using our interactive online map covering the whole of Great Britain.

EXPLORE THE MAP

New virtual state-of-the-art research and innovation centre at Heriot-Watt University

A new state-of-the-art research and innovation centre at Heriot-Watt University will be at the forefront of the UK’s ambitions to cut industrial greenhouse gas emissions.

The Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) has received £20m from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to be virtually based at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus.

It will be a world-leading, high-impact research and innovation centre, acting as the national focal point and international gateway for UK industrial decarbonisation.

IDRIC will work closely with the UK’s major industrial clusters to address the challenges of industrial decarbonisation alongside a diverse range of over 140 partners as part of a drive to create the world’s first net-zero emissions industrial cluster by 2040 and four low-carbon clusters by 2030.

It will integrate best use of challenge-led research, transformative innovation, knowledge sharing and nurturing talent.

IDRIC will be headed by award-winning academic and the UKRI’s Industrial Decarbonisation Champion Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer who will drive industrial decarbonisation as part of the UK’s journey to net-zero.

Commenting on the funding for the new centre, she said: “I am delighted to lead IDRIC, the UK research and innovation hub for industrial decarbonisation that will set the foundations for the new industrial clusters of tomorrow.

“The 2020s will be key for the UK to set the pathway to meet its carbon targets and IDRIC will play a key role to accelerate the decarbonisation of industrial clusters.

“Working with the research and innovation community, we will demonstrate our international competitiveness to realise the opportunities offered by economies of scale in decarbonising industrial clusters and driving new business models.”

IDRIC is part of the Industrial Decarbonisation challenge, delivered through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) by UKRI, and part of the commitments set out in the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan for a green revolution.

IDRIC will accelerate the transformation of industrial clusters into world leading low-carbon manufacturing hubs which will attract major inward investment, support job creation and underpin the UK’s decarbonisation ambitions.

This challenge aims to accelerate the cost-effective decarbonisation of industry by developing and deploying low-carbon technologies. It aims to enable the deployment of infrastructure at scale by the mid-2020s. It also aims to boost industry sector jobs, reduce carbon emissions and contribute significantly to the UK Government’s carbon target to reach net zero by 2050.

To kick start the process, six projects across the UK received £8 million in government funding to develop cluster plans to cut carbon emissions from major industrial areas.

£171m were allocated in March to nine green technology projects to undertake engineering and design studies for the rollout of decarbonisation infrastructure, such as carbon capture, usage and storage and hydrogen.

In March 2021, the UK Government also announced a new Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy which sets out the government’s vision for building a competitive, greener future for the manufacturing and construction sector.

As part of the government’s path to net zero by 2050, the measures will create and support 80,000 UK jobs over the next 30 years whilst cutting emissions by two-thirds in just 15 years.

Prof Maroto-Valer said: “We are very excited to work with the cluster plans and deployment projects to stimulate cross learning and strengthen and accelerate the impact of activities across the Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge.

“We will co-develop a whole systems approach that integrates engineering, environmental and technical solutions alongside perspectives on economic, behavioural and policy. Together we will deliver long-lasting growth and societal benefits for a green economic recovery.”

Dr Bryony Livesey, Challenge Director for the Industrial Decarbonisation challenge, said: “The introduction of the IDRIC concept shows the commitment to not only fund largescale decarbonisation efforts, but to make sure we continually learn from and adapt to their early results and challenges.

“By enabling the Centre to build evidence on a range of areas from direct costs and emissions to skilled jobs and wider net zero policy, we believe we are creating a more adaptive and responsible path for the UK’s big industry to take to remain at the forefront of a global low-carbon future.”

For further information visit – https://idric.org/

SP Energy Networks announces £33.9 million for green projects in Central and Southern Scotland

SP Energy Networks unlocks £33.9 million of funding for green projects to deliver Net Zero in Central and Southern Scotland
The investment in 18 projects over the next 18 months will help achieve a green economic recovery
Work is part of massive change needed to ready the grid for huge increase in demand as electrification of heat and transport gathers pace
Projects will upgrade parts of the network to provide additional electrical capacity in areas where we are expecting growth in low carbon technologies

SP Energy Networks has unlocked £33.9 million of fresh funding to invest in 18 green energy projects in Central and Southern Scotland.

The projects will provide additional electrical capacity in areas where SP Energy Networks, the distribution network owner for the area, is expecting electricity demand to grow, delivering the network infrastructure required to support the UK’s low carbon future and helping to accelerate a green economic recovery.

This work will see the installation of four brand new main substations in Central and Southern Scotland, including the construction of a new £6m substation near the COP26 venue in Glasgow.

The city is hosting the most important climate summit since 2016 in November this year and the substation will create a lasting COP26 legacy by enabling future green developments and the connection of low carbon technologies into the grid and help Glasgow with its own Net Zero ambitions.

This project, and the 17 other network infrastructure projects, will be delivered over the next eighteen months and will provide the capacity for the connection of a host of LCTs such as electric vehicles (EVs) and heat pumps.

These technologies will help households transform their energy use as they switch to electric options from a current reliance on gas and fossil fuels to power transport and heat. And, on the journey to Net Zero, more and more of this electricity will come from renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport Michael Matheson said: “Scotland is wholly committed to becoming a net-zero economy by 2045, and doing so in a way that is just and fair for all.

“I strongly welcome this investment in Scotland’s energy networks, which will help our progress towards decarbonisation while ensuring that the economic and social benefits of the energy transition are realised across the country.

“We have worked closely with our stakeholders to support the strong and successful bids from Scotland’s network companies for this substantial funding. These projects and investments will support further innovation in green energy, unlocking capacity in our networks to support electrification of transport as well as other technologies like battery storage, renewables and heat pumps.

“Today’s announcement by Ofgem is the product of an agile approach to investment and we must now build on this to ensure that our networks remain capable of supporting Scotland’s net-zero transition.”

Frank Mitchell, CEO of SP Energy Networks, said: “These projects were selected because they are shovel-ready, can be delivered at speed and will help communities in Central and Southern Scotland to take important steps forward on their journey to Net Zero.

“To tackle climate change we’re electrifying transport, decarbonising heating and buildings and connecting more wind and solar energy generation than ever before. Our network must be ready to support these changes and set the foundations for a Net Zero future.

“In six months, Glasgow will host the most important climate summit in years, COP26. At the forefront of discussions will be how everyone can accelerate climate action and this funding will help to speed up our own work to deliver a network that can unlock Net Zero for Scotland and the communities we serve.”

The investment announced today will create 154MW of new network capacity to power more than 200 rapid or ultra-rapid EV chargers and 1,500 domestic heat pumps in the region as well as numerous other significant connections.

Each project has been selected for the contribution it will make towards driving a green economic recovery, achieving Net Zero and delivering a resilient and reliable energy network that will work for energy consumers now and well into the future.

Frank Mitchell said: “We have ambitious plans to revolutionise the distribution network between 2023 and 2028 – we’re going to reinforce or replace hundreds of miles of cables, upgrade more than 800 substations and bring new technologies online to help us manage the increased energy flowing through our grid.

“The projects we have announced today are welcome, but they only represent the tip of the iceberg for our energy networks. Make no mistake, this is an infrastructure project to rival anything this country has delivered in recent memory.”

In total, 40 projects will be delivered across SP Energy Networks distribution area, which provides electricity to more than 3.5 million homes and businesses across Central and Southern Scotland and Cheshire, Merseyside and North and Mid Wales.

Forth Ports reveals ambitious plans for renewable energy hub

Forth Ports has unveiled ambitious proposals for the creation of Scotland’s largest and best located renewable energy hub on a 175 acre site at the Port of Leith – supporting Scotland’s economic recovery and energy transition plans and the achievement of Scotland’s net zero carbon emissions targets.

This £40m private investment will see the creation of a bespoke, riverside marine berth capable of accommodating the world’s largest offshore wind installation vessels.

The facility will feature a heavy lift capability of up to 100 tonnes per square metre (t/m²), backed up by 35 acres of adjacent land for logistics and marshalling. This will be supplemented by the upgrading of a 140 acre cargo handling site to accommodate lay down; assembly; supply chain and manufacturing opportunities.

The total area is equivalent to around 100 full size football pitches.

CGI video here: https://vimeo.com/554214247/cf526c091e]

The Port of Leith Renewable Energy Hub has the potential to:

Make a major contribution to Scotland achieving its 2045 net zero greenhouse gases target
Secure the Firth of Forth as the driver for Scotland’s green energy transition
Help spearhead Edinburgh’s and Scotland’s Covid-19 recovery plan
Support up to 1,000 high quality, long term direct jobs and about 2,000 indirect jobs

Launching the plans, Charles Hammond OBE, Group Chief Executive of Forth Ports, said: “We are committed to playing a significant role in the renewable energy sector and, through that, Scotland’s energy transition to net zero as we also tackle the challenges of Covid-19 recovery and economic regeneration.

“This is a pump-priming investment in logistics and marine infrastructure at the Port of Leith as we harness Scotland’s natural resources for future generations and has the potential to play a significant part in our forthcoming Firth of Forth Green Port bid.

“Leith’s proximity to the North Sea, which is set to become home to many more offshore wind developments, coupled with the natural deep waters of the Firth of Forth, makes this an ideal location to support not only those developments already planned, but the pipeline of projects that are sure to follow.

“That’s why we’re prepared to invest our land, our expertise and our shareholders’ money to further build and strengthen Scotland’s renewables supply chain to deliver new long-term jobs. Forth Ports is committed to both help make Scotland’s renewables future a reality and help it meet its carbon reduction targets.”

Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, Michael Matheson, said: “The Scottish Government has set ambitious targets to increase offshore wind capacity to 11 GW of energy installed by 2030 – enough to power more than eight million homes. This commitment, which will support our transition to a net-zero economy by 2045, capitalises on the fact that Scotland’s seas have some of the best offshore wind resources in the world.

“It is fundamentally important that the bold and necessary action required for us to reach net-zero is taken in a way that is fair and just for everyone. It must seize the economic benefits that will be created, supporting jobs and our wider society.

“This significant investment from Forth Ports to develop the Port of Leith places them in an ideal position to harness the offshore wind opportunities in the North Sea, creating good green jobs and supporting a just transition to net-zero – not just for the city of Edinburgh but the wider area and beyond.”

City of Edinburgh Council leader, Councillor Adam McVey, said: “Renewable energy plays a vital role in tackling climate change and in securing a bright economic future for everyone in our Capital. The increase in jobs for people in Leith and across Edinburgh is hugely welcome and underlines our economic resilience as a City.

“The continuing regeneration of clean industry in the docks with the development of the Port of Leith Renewable Energy Hub is an important and welcome step in supporting the needed transition to a cleaner, greener future for the next generation.”

Claire Mack, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, said: “Scotland is at the start of its offshore wind journey, with plans to increase capacity tenfold in the coming decade. Ports and harbour infrastructure have an enormous role to play in the growth of that multi-billion pound sector which, with support from government and industry, is likely to grow much more quickly than it has to date.

“The announcement of such significant activity by Forth Ports is hugely welcome and will act as a signal to draw other, wider private and public sector investment to grow the skills, expertise, innovation and supply chain we need to make the most of this exciting next phase of the renewable energy industry’s development.

“The Scottish Government’s Sectoral Marine Plan contains many sites for floating wind development which, coupled with investments in infrastructure capable of handling the scale of floating turbine technology, mean we have a chance to gain a foothold in a market with enormous economic and export opportunities, particularly in the US and Asia. Scotland can truly lead the world in offshore wind, and today’s news from Leith is the first step in that journey.”

This will be a wholly private sector investment of £40m, backed by Forth Ports’ shareholders, in support of the industrial regeneration of the Port of Leith and reinforcing the role of the Firth of Forth in Scotland’s energy transition. It will further underpin the position of Scotland’s Central Belt as a leading area of engineering and manufacturing skills and capabilities.

With existing offshore wind farm development plans and the Crown Estate Scotland’s ScotWind seabed leasing round still to come, offshore wind alone has the potential to create enough work for this renewables hub for the next 30 years.

The Firth of Forth’s natural deep waters and its proximity to the North Sea make it ideally suited to supporting future offshore wind farm development, both fixed and floating.

Lothians MSP Miles Briggs said: “This £40 million investment into a renewable energy hub at the Port of Leith is exactly what is needed for Scotland’s green economic recovery.

“Creating jobs, building the economy and developing green energy are all key to building back better and stronger.

“Forth Ports have put themselves in pole position to be a Green Port, Scotland’s take on the UK initiative of Free Ports.

“Leith has historically been a source of wealth for Edinburgh and the East of Scotland and this investment will massively benefit the region.”

Scottish electric car grant take-up slow but gaining ground

Scottish uptake for electric car home charging grants has fallen behind English regions, according to figures from the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles.

The Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme’s (EVHS) demand across Scotland amounted to 410 grants per 100,000 homes last year, lower than any rate in England barring London.

It was not all bad news though, with almost 3,000 Scottish electric vehicle owners taking advantage of the scheme in 2020, a 45% increase on 2019, and the highest number since the scheme was launched in 2014.

The EVHS provides 75% of the cost of installing electric vehicle charging devices at domestic properties.

Across the country, over 42,000 grants for home charging devices were made last year, worth nearly £17m, which was over a quarter of the value of grants made since EVHS started.

The figures are hot on the heels of last week’s news, showing new electric vehicle registrations rocketed in 2020, hitting 87% growth for alternative fuel vehicles. Total vehicle registrations dropped 27% during 2020, with diesel vehicles being particularly badly hit, down 51%.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced in November that wholly powered petrol and diesel cars will no longer be sold in the UK from 2030 as part of the ‘green industrial revolution’ to tackle climate change.

Johnson says the government plans to ‘invest more than £2.8 billion in electric vehicles, lacing the land with charging points’.

Greg Wilson, Quotezone.co.uk’s Founder says: “Easy access to recharging points is crucial to meeting the government’s ambitious targets for electric vehicle use, but there is much work to do to meet these government plans. Research suggests that an investment of £16.7bn is needed on the public charging infrastructure alone – excluding local grid network updates.”

“While grant funding take-up for charging devices shot up last year, it will need to increase even more in order to ensure that more than two million new vehicles sold each year can access electric charging points as the 2030 deadline draws closer.”

“Scottish electric vehicle showrooms and car owners might be disappointed with the latest figures but we have to note local factors such as the region’s rural character, the proportion of tenancy properties and access to off-street parking could all affect the practicalities of going green.”

Recommended by 97% of reviewers, Quotezone.co.uk helps around 3 million users every year, with over 400 insurance brands across 60 different products including electric car insurance.

Millions of football boots to find new homes in new environmental awareness campaign

A new ‘Football Rebooted’ campaign has been launched today by the UK’s leading smart energy supplier, Utilita, and former England and Premier League goalkeeper, David James MBE.

The campaign has been created to help the nation recycle at least one million pairs of ‘pre-played’ football boots and astro boots, saving families a small fortune, as well as 136,000 tonnes of carbon – the same as taking 7,000 cars off the road for a year, or turning the energy off in one million medium-sized houses for a week.

The ‘donate and claim’ campaign, enables anyone with spare football boots or astro boots to request a freepost ‘boot bag’ to donate their boots, after which their boots will appear at one of many claim stations that will pop up in parks, training grounds, and at some of the UK’s largest football clubs.

Premium pairs of the ‘most wanted’ retro boots and former and current players’ boots and other items will also be in the mix, giving anyone a chance to come along and grab a pair to be proud of.

The campaign is strategically designed to put an aspirational spin on a mechanic that will get good boots through to families struggling to afford new ones, after Utilita’s State of Play report revealed that out of the 74 percent of families who had been impacted financially by the pandemic, 18 percent won’t be able to send their kids back to grassroots football as they can’t afford boots and other items such as goalie gloves and shin pads.

Campaign ambassador and keen environmentalist, David James, and the Utilita team held focus groups with families, which revealed the barriers to boots finding new homes – the biggest being pride.

The donate and claim mechanic avoids families needing to accept charity from people they know, and makes claiming a new pair an aspirational activity, whereby people are impacting the environment, too.

Campaign ambassador, David James MBE, comments on why the campaign is so important: “Right now, there are millions of pairs of football boots that people have grown out of or replaced, and we need to make sure they don’t end up in landfill.

“Getting these boots replayed through Utilita’s Football Rebooted campaign will not only save players a few quid but will also act as an important reminder about the power of upcycling and reusing items that still have a lot of life left in them.”

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Bill Bullen, founder of Utilita – the only energy company created to help households use and waste less energy – explained why Utilita has created the Football Rebooted campaign: “Most consumers are becoming more thoughtful about how their choices impact the environment, but sometimes life gets in the way of making the right choice. That’s why we have created Football Rebooted, which makes recycling football boots with plenty of life left in them, really easy.

“The campaign has been shaped by grassroots football players, coaches and parents, so uses carbon-saving examples that really resonate with this audience – home energy usage and taking cars off the road. It’s been incredibly encouraging to see football players as young as six years old talk passionately about the importance of protecting the environment.”

Premier League and EFL clubs across the UK, including Portsmouth, Southampton, Derby County and Leeds United, have already signed up to donate the football boots worn by their academy players, while first-team players have also donated their own boots in the interests of the environment.

As part of the new campaign, schools can request boots be sent to them for children who they identify as needing football boots to enable them to play in or outside of school.

English Schools’ FA (ESFA) Chairman, Phil Harding, said: “The last 12 months have been very difficult for families, teams, players and schools alike and, as the National Governing Body for Schools’ Football, the ESFA welcome any campaign to help ensure children have every opportunity to take part in a sport that they are passionate about, but that is also so beneficial for both their physical and mental health.

“The Football Rebooted campaign not only has a great environmental message but is also working towards helping children to be active, participate and enjoy school sport.”

Find out more information about the campaign at www.footballrebooted.co.uk.

Rocket crash highlights need for Space Tugs

Frightening events like the Chinese rocket which crashed back to Earth illustrate the need for action on ‘space junk’ before a disaster happens, the head of Scottish rocket company Skyrora has said.

Volodymyr Levykin said the uncontrolled re-entry of the remains of the 18-tonne Chinese Long March 5b missile – which plunged into the sea just west of the Maldives last Sunday – should not be happening.

Volodymyr, Chief Executive Officer of Edinburgh-based Skyrora which aims to launch its first rocket next year, said the incident underlines the value of the firm’s work in developing a ‘space tug’ which can play a crucial role in clearing redundant satellites and other so-called space junk.

Volodymyr said: “The world had to watch and hold its breath to see where the debris from the Chinese Long March-5b vehicle would hit the Earth. But events like this shouldn’t be happening.

“There are around 34,000 objects above 10cm in size in Earth’s orbit that would be considered space junk – 3000 of which are redundant satellites. Moving at around 10km per second, these objects could seriously damage operational satellites or even the International Space Station.

“It’s vital that something is done to address the situation before disaster strikes – and we’re faced with the loss of crucial services, or worse still, loss of life.”

Volodymyr said the situation has heightened the demand for a vehicle that can make multiple stops and functions in space without the need for multiple launches.

He added: “Orbital Transfer Vehicles, such as Skyrora’s space tug, are on hand to help safely de-orbit space debris or transport it to a disposal orbit. With the capability of re-firing its engine multiple times and so manoeuvring once in orbit, a tug can complete several missions after deploying an initial payload.

“By integrating them as part of the rocket’s third stage, we can effectively deploy a vehicle as part of every launch, creating an orbital fleet of ‘space tugs’ ready to be called upon when required.

“Every launch, regardless of who is behind it or where it’s launching from, should now include some sort of space tug to make sure these uncontrolled re-entries are a thing of the past.

“It’s not only about helping the planet or clearing up the mess orbiting it but about protecting the crucial infrastructure that’s taken decades and trillions of dollars to build, which could effectively be wiped out in an instant.”

Skyrora has already successfully completed tests on a space tug model – at its engine development facility in Fife – which involved a full mission duration static fire test (450 second burn over three firings) of the upper (or third) stage of their orbital-class vehicle, Skyrora XL.

The development is a key part of Skyrora’s mission to place space sustainability as a crucial element in its planning and company vision. It has also developed a new way of launching satellites without damaging the environment as well as creating an eco-friendly fuel that ensures the UK has the most environmentally friendly space industry in the world.

The Edinburgh-based company recently secured €3M funding from the European Space Agency, which will be used to complete Skyrora’s XL programme to deliver consistent orbital launches from the UK.

Skyrora XL is a 23-metre, 56-tonne, three-stage rocket capable of carrying up to 315kg into orbit. The vehicle is on course to be test launched in 2022 from a UK spaceport and the project is set to generate 170 high-skilled jobs.

Enterprise boosts electric rental fleet with thirty new vehicles

· 30 new Renault ZOE available in Enterprise Rent-A-Car branches in Edinburgh, Dundee, Glasgow, Aberdeen

· Supporting local communities’ and businesses’ transition to shared low- and zero-emission motoring

· Part of a wider investment including electric vans and hydrogen vehicles

Enterprise Rent-A-Car has unveiled 30 new electric Renault ZOE as part of its rental fleet in Scotland. They will offer more zero-emission transport options for businesses and local residents needing to drive as Scotland emerges from lockdown.

The vehicles will be located at Enterprise Rent-A-Car branches in Dundee, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. They are part of the company’s wider investment in offering sustainable motoring options in Scotland and across the UK.

Enterprise already offers a range of low emission vehicles and is rolling out a number of fully electric vans and working with Toyota to trial hydrogen cars with selected corporate customers.

Police Scotland is one of a number of organisations that is renting the new Enterprise Renault ZOE fleet. The Renault ZOE is a fully electric vehicle, with a 52-kWh capacity with up to 245 miles of range.

Enterprise is seeing growing support for its electric vehicle fleet, both rental and car club, across the UK. An analysis of user data shows that while the majority of renters drive fewer than 50 miles when they use an electric vehicle, many are regular users and happy to drive an electric car for 100 miles or more per day.

“We see rental as a way of facilitating change because it enables people to try out zero-emission electric vehicles for a short period of time,” said Diane Mulholland, General Manager for Enterprise Scotland.

“We will be using our new ZOE fleet to ensure our employees are familiar with EV technology and act as experts to help customers understand the benefits of these vehicles and overcome any concerns they may have.

“We are planning to encourage all our customers to try EVs. That means replacement customers who get a car from their insurance company when their vehicle is being repaired will have an EV option, as well as our business and leisure customers as lockdown eases.”

Enterprise is committed to the continued expansion of its fleet of fully electric vehicles in Scotland and in all other markets in which it operates. These vehicles will play a role in supporting Scotland’s move towards more sustainable transport, use of ultra-low emission vehicles (ULEVs) and introduction of Low Emission Zones in four cities, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow next year.

In order to ensure employee and customer safety, Enterprise introduced its Complete Clean Pledge in 2020, which is an industry leading initiative that demonstrates the company’s commitment to excellent customer service and maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness.

The CCP further enhanced how all Enterprise vehicles are thoroughly cleaned between each rental. This includes washing, vacuuming, general wipe down, and sanitising with a disinfectant that meets leading health authority requirements, with particular attention to more than 20 high-touch points.

‘Green’ car sales boom in difficult market says government report

Ultra-low emission vehicle (ULEV) registrations shot-up by 125% during 2020 compared to the year before, according to new figures from the Department for Transport.

There was more good news for ULEV manufacturers, with registrations speeding-up over the course of year, which helped put 179,000 registered cars on the road by the end of 2020.

After ULEVs, alternative fuel cars enjoyed 87% growth, with 338,000 vehicles being registered for the first time. Hybrid Electrics also proved popular as did Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) with 164,000 and 107,000 new registrations respectively. Tesla’s BEV Model 3 was the best-selling green car with over 22,000.

The growing popularity of greener cars was in contrast with the total vehicle registrations dropping 27% in 2020 compared to 2019. Diesel vehicles were particularly badly hit, down 51.

Britain’s favourite motor, the Ford Fiesta, shelved diesel altogether last year, although 47,600 new petrol versions were sold as the company introduced emission cutting technology.

With car showrooms closed for large parts of the year, the industry found new ways to fight back, with the introduction of click and collect technology to boost lockdown sales.

Greg Wilson, Founder of motoring and electric car insurance comparison website Quotezone.co.uk comments: “The car industry has had significant challenges, suffering dampened sales last year with lockdown closing showrooms, logistical complications with travel restrictions and the looming economic uncertainty making customers hesitant.

“The good news is restrictions are being lifted and there is plenty of enthusiasm for greener cars which made-up a remarkable number of new registrations in 2020.

“A growing number of high-end electric vehicles are rolling off the production line now, and high-end motors almost always cost more to insure. In addition, the spare parts for some types of electric vehicles can be harder to source at present, and mechanics that specialise in electric vehicles can be harder to find, two factors that insurers may well factor into their premiums for electric car insurance.

“Still, as electric cars become more mainstream and a growing number of insurance providers enter the electric car insurance market, we expect the average cost of insuring electric cars to fall steadily – both for consumers who are keen to invest in a more environmentally friendly motor for their family, and for businesses who decide to invest in a more sustainable ‘green fleet’.”

Quotezone.co.uk helps around 3 million users every year and are recommended by 97% of reviewers, with over 400 insurance brands across 60 different products including niche products such as over 70s car insurance, young driver and black box insurance.

Alternative fuel type vehicles as explained by the Department for Transport:

Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) that are too high-emitting to count as ULEVs, e.g. Toyota Yaris HEV.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) that are too high-emitting to count as ULEVs, e.g. BMW X5 PHEV.
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) and Range-Extended Electric Vehicles (R-EEVs), e.g. Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV and BMW I3S REX respectively.
Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), e.g. Tesla Model 3, Nissan Leaf, and Nissan e-NV200 (van).
Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEVs) that use hydrogen, e.g. Toyota Mirai or Hyundai IX35.
Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) that are low-emitting, e.g. a series of Toyota Prius HEV in 2016/17