Puffin-tracking AI system shortlisted for prestigious Scottish Green Energy Award

A project which uses artificial intelligence to track puffins and salmon is one of 45 shortlisted for this year’s Scottish Green Energy Awards, it can be revealed today (October 27).

SSE Renewables with partners Microsoft and Avanade, is using the tech – which can spot the difference between individual puffins to avoid counting the same bird twice – to monitor wildlife at a wind farm and a hydropower site.

The project is shortlisted in the Best Innovation category, finalists for which also include a mobile hydrogen refueling station and a cutting-edge battery designed by a Scottish start-up.

Industry body Scottish Renewables, which runs The Scottish Green Energy Awards, is announcing the shortlist today ahead of the annual black-tie award ceremony on December 1 in Edinburgh.

The Awards see 45 individuals, companies and projects compete to scoop prizes in 13 prestigious categories.

Other finalists include:

• Whisky giant Glenmorangie for its carbon reduction efforts, including running its Livingston bottling plant on solar power
• Electrical services company FES and Renfrewshire Council for taking heat from sewage and using it to warm buildings on a new innovation park
• The UK's first all-electric intercity bus service, currently operated by Ember between Edinburgh and Dundee.

Claire Mack, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, told how the shortlist showed the renewable energy industry was moving to a new phase.

She said:

“So many of the nominations which have been shortlisted by our judges are collaborations between companies large and small, which is something we haven’t seen before in these numbers.

“What that shows is that the industry is maturing, and that green energy projects are now seen as the type of opportunity which everyone, from multinationals to SMEs, can get involved in.

“The shortlist this year is of exceptional quality and represents, as it always does, the very best of the industry in Scotland. Chairing the judging session is always tough, and I can report that this year was no exception, with much thought going into deciding the shortlist for each category, let alone the winner.

“I’d like to wish all the finalists the very best of luck and look forward to meeting them in Edinburgh in December for what I’m sure will be a memorable night.”

Finalists in The Scottish Green Energy Awards include projects, people and organisations from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, the Western Isles and Dumfries and Galloway, among many other Scottish regions.

Matthieu Hue, CEO of EDF Renewables, the event’s Headline Sponsor said:

“The Scottish Green Energy Awards is one of the top events in the calendar for our industry, celebrating the talent, passion and skills within the Scottish renewables sector.

“We are delighted to once again be Headline Sponsor of the event, marking many of the fantastic achievements that have taken place across the last year as we accelerate our efforts towards net-zero.”

The full shortlist detailed below:

BEST COMMUNITY PROJECT AWARD, sponsored by ScottishPower Renewables

• Aros An Rubha for revitalisation of the former Knock School
• Buchanan Community Hydro
• Emtec Energy for Aberdeenshire Council Smart Solar & Storage framework 
• MorVolts for Barr Hydro scheme

 BEST ENGAGEMENT AWARD, sponsored by SmartestEnergy

• Foundation Scotland for Vattenfall’s South Kyle windfarm 
• SSE Renewables for the Community Engagement Strategy in Shetland
• Statkraft for Greener Grid Park
• The Farm Energy Company Limited

BEST INNOVATION AWARD, sponsored by Red Rock Power Limited

• Balmoral for FibreFlex®
• Logan Energy for Mobile Compression Trailer
• Pipeline Technique Ltd
• SSE Renewables, with partners Microsoft and Avanade, for artificial intelligence puffin and salmon monitoring
• StorTera for single liquid flow battery

CARBON REDUCTION AWARD, sponsored by Statkraft

• Aberdeen City Council for Torry Heatnet North West Europe
• Ember Core
• Scottish Sea Farms
• The Glenmorangie Company

 CHAMPION OF RENEWABLES AWARD, sponsored by Fred. Olsen Renewables

• Scott Hamilton, Xodus
• Colin Maciver, Crown Estate Scotland
• David Stevenson, The Scottish Government
• Marc Van Grieken, MVGLA Landscape Architecture

CONTRIBUTION TO SKILLS AWARD, sponsored by SSE Renewables

• Dumfries and Galloway College for Green Skills Academy
• Energy Saving Trust for Sustainable Energy Supply Chain programme
• Net Zero Technology Centre
• X-Academy

OUTSTANDING PROJECT AWARD, sponsored by RWE Renewables

• FES / Renfrewshire Council for AMIDS District Heating Network
• Forth Ports Limited for Duneco Quay and Prince Charles Wharf and Extension
• ScottishPower Renewables for Dersalloch wind farm System Restoration Demonstration Project
• The Highland Council for Hydro Ness
• Crown Estate Scotland for ScotWind

OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARD, sponsored by Green Investment Group

• Arup
• ORE Catapult's Launch Academy
• Niall Stuart, Hutcheson Associates
• Renewable Exchange

 POSITIVE IMPROVEMENT AWARD, sponsored by Natural Power

• EMEC
• Garry McGowan, Nova Innovation
• Sulmara

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AWARD, sponsored by Hitachi Energy

• Distell International
• ReBlade Ltd for Circular Disposal of Wind Turbine Blades
• SSEN Transmission and Argyll and the Isles Coast and Countryside Trust 
• The Farm Energy Company Limited

YOUNG & INSPIRING AWARD, sponsored by WSP

• Lesley Cartwright, Natural Power
• Matthew Dowds, Muirhall Energy
• RES' Gender Affinity Network
• Lucia Urra Viana, ScottishPower Renewables

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION AWARD, sponsored by Highlands and Islands Enterprise

• Winner announced on the night

JUDGES AWARD, sponsored by Ocean Winds

• Winner announced on the night

Ends

Notes:

• More information on the awards is available from Scottish Renewables' website.

• The Scottish Green Energy Awards is sponsored by EDF Renewables, Aker Solutions, ASH, CMS, DWPA, EICC, Fred. Olsen Renewables, Green Investment Group, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Hitachi Energy, MacArthur Green, Mainstream Renewable Power, Muirhall Energy, MVGLA, Natural Power, Nexans, Northland Power, Ocean Winds, Ørsted, Red Rock Power Limited, RES, RPS, RSK, RWE Renewables, ScottishPower Renewables, SmartestEnergy, Siemens Gamesa, SSE Renewables, Statkraft, Ventus, Voltalia, Wave Energy Scotland, WSP and Xodus. The event is also supported by Full Circle 21 and our Official Media Partner reNews.

• The Awards’ judging panel was made up of representatives of sponsor companies.