Scottish Green Energy Awards celebrates Scotland’s renewable energy industry

A cutting-edge technology that is revolutionising the maintenance of wind turbine blades has scooped a top prize at last night's (November 30) Scottish Green Energy Awards.

Geo-Structural, whose SQYFlex blade access platform allows turbine technicians to carry out blade maintenance in adverse weather conditions, was proud winner of the Best Innovation Award for new technology products.

Scottish Renewables’ flagship event returned to the EICC in Edinburgh where more than 1,250 guests celebrated Scotland’s renewable energy industry and applauded the 15 award winners who were recognised for their achievements over the past year.

The winners were selected by a panel of 15 judges from a shortlist of 51 finalists.

Among the winners were:

• Alladale Wilderness Reserve, Scotland’s oldest rewilding project, was celebrated with the Carbon Reduction Award for its Willow Education Centre which is a new facility providing space for young people to engage directly with net-zero by learning about carbon sequestration, renewable energy, zero waste food production and peatland restoration.
• SafetyOn, a health and safety organisation for the Onshore wind sector, was recognised with the Positive Improvement Award for its campaign to raise awareness and mitigate the risks for the thousands employed in the UK’s onshore wind industry.
• Offshore wind developer Ocean Winds has been working with schools, colleges and universities to train and recruit the skilled people needed to develop, construct and operate offshore wind farms across Scotland and was honoured with the Contribution to Skills Award.

The Rt. Hon. The Lord Deben, Chair of the Climate Change Committee 2012-2023, gave a keynote address where he highlighted how Scotland’s renewable energy industry is playing a major role in helping the UK reach it’s net-zero targets.

Claire Mack, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, said:

“This year’s Scottish Green Energy Awards are the perfect way to round off another year of success for Scotland’s renewable energy industry.

“For more than 20 years now we have been celebrating the amazing people who are driving our industry forward, maintaining our position as a global leader of clean power, and that has again been reflected in the exceedingly high standard of all those nominated for awards.

“I’m always so inspired by the abundance of innovation, creativity, skill, dedication and commitment of those working in our industry which made it extremely difficult to choose the 15 brilliant award winners this year.

“Each category is incredibly competitive so I’d like to congratulate all those who were shortlisted as well as those who took home awards.”

Matthieu Hue, Chief Executive of EDF Renewables, said:

“What an inspiring set of winners we have for this year’s Scottish Green Energy Awards.

“It fills me with hope and optimism for the future of the renewables industry in Scotland.

“Congratulations to everyone who entered and to those who took home an award this time.”

The full list of winners is as follows:

• Best Community Project Award, sponsored by ScottishPower Renewables: Knoydart Renewables - Knoydart Energy Security Project
• Best Engagement Award, sponsored by SmartestEnergy: SSE Renewables - Community Engagement Strategy
• Best Innovation Award - New Technology Products, sponsored by Red Rock Power: Geo-Structural Ltd – SQYFlex
• Best Innovation Award - Software and Services, sponsored by SLR: RES
• Carbon Reduction Award, sponsored by Statkraft: The European Nature Trust - Alladale Wilderness Reserve
• Champion of Renewables Award, sponsored by Fred. Olsen Renewables: Marcus Trinick KC
• Contribution to Skills Award, sponsored by SSE Renewables: Ocean Winds
• Outstanding Contribution Award, sponsored by BlueFloat Energy | Renantis Partnership: Andrew Jamieson, ORE Catapult
• Outstanding Project Award, sponsored by RWE: SSEN Transmission - Inveraray to Crossaig electricity transmission network reinforcement
• Outstanding Service Award, sponsored by Green Investment Group: EMEC
• Positive Improvement Award, sponsored by Natural Power: SafetyOn
• Sustainable Development Award, sponsored by Hitachi Energy: Hagshaw Energy Cluster – Development Framework
• Young and Inspiring Award, sponsored by WSP: Lauren McIntosh, Xodus
• Young and Inspiring Award, sponsored by WSP: Chris Coates, Downing Renewable Developments LLP
• Judges Award, sponsored by Ocean Winds: Ripple

Ends

Notes

• A selection of images from the event is available here.

• Sponsors of The Scottish Green Energy Awards 2023 include:
  EDF Renewables, BlueFloat Energy | Renantis Partnership, Fred. Olsen Renewables, Green Investment Group, Hitachi Energy, Natural Power, Ocean Winds, Red Rock Power, RWE, ScottishPower Renewables, SLR, SmartestEnergy, SSE Renewables, Statkraft, WSP, Coalition for Wind Industry Circularity (CWIC), Muirhall Energy, WWS Renewables, ASH, Burness Paull, Corio Generation, DLA Piper, Flotation Energy, Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC), Geo-Structural, MacArthur Green, North Star Renewables, Ørsted, Ramboll, RES, Rovco, RPS, RSK, Salamander Offshore Wind, Siemens Gamesa and Ventus. Our Official Media Partner is ReNews.

• The awards’ judging panel was made up of representatives of sponsor companies.
• Free to use of images of Claire Mack, Chief Executive of Scottish Renewables, here.