Orion receives £2.8m to help make Shetland the UK’s first ‘green energy island’

Shetland’s ambitious plans to become the first “green energy island” have received a £2.8million funding boost.

The Orion project, which is seeking to support the decarbonisation of oil and gas while producing industrial quantities of hydrogen for export, confirmed the funding on Friday.

The Scottish government awarded a total of £16.5m for “Net Zero Technology Centre” projects, including the share to Orion.

The SIC, which is a partner in the Orion project, said it was “fantastic news”.

Infrastructure director John Smith said the funding was essential in progressing the plans for Shetland to become the UK’s “first green energy island”.

We are working with the government, industry and academia to develop the technology and infrastructure required to create a blueprint for other energy hubs in the UK to follow.

“Getting this right will create confidence a clean energy hub vision for the UKCS and through lessons learned in this project, will de-risk the development of future hubs. 

 “At the core of our work is the challenge of producing green hydrogen from offshore wind power, to electrify offshore platforms, provide alternative fuels for vehicles and marine vessels and diversify Shetland’s energy supply chain.”

Mr Smith said Orion had “huge potential” to change the UK’s energy landscape.

He said it could create 821 jobs in Shetland by 2050, while establishing  a model for clean energy hubs which  could create more than 5,000 jobs across Scotland.”