A £76 million scheme to boost jobs and economic growth in Scotland’s low-carbon sector was unveiled yesterday.
Infrastructure, Investment and Cities Secretary Keith Brown said the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme will provide support for established and start-up infrastructure projects across the private, public and community sectors.
It aims to stimulate commercial interest and investment and maximise Scotland’s vast potential in the low-carbon sector.
The scheme is receiving £33m of European Regional Development Fund grant funding under the new 2014-20 European Structural Funds programme.
The remainder is match funding from partners. It will be jointly managed by the Scottish Government and public-sector partners including Scottish Futures Trust and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
Three levels of support will be offered: catalyst support for start-up projects, development support for more advanced projects, and demonstrator support for a projects already using commercially proven technology.
Mr Brown said the package would cement the Scottish Government’s commitment to delivering sustainable economic growth.
He was speaking at the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation, whose Low Carbon Innovation and Smart Accelerator projects include Tay Eco Valley which is creating a sustainable transport hub and eco-park.
The project in Perthshire aims to install a heat-exchange in the River Tay to provide low-cost energy to a nearby business park, local schools and nearby homes.
Mr Brown said: “The estimated market value of sales in Scotland’s low-carbon and environmental goods and services sector in 2011/12 was £10.1 billion, with around 4,200 companies employing 78,000 people.
“This is forecast to grow by 30% to reach a value of £13.2bn by 2016/17, and the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme will ensure that the low-carbon sector delivers significant jobs and economic growth for Scotland.”
Andy Kerr, director of the Edinburgh centre, said: “Scotland has huge advantages for leading the low-carbon economy. It has both the ‘know-how’ to support energy transformation, and the capacity for joined-up approaches between public and private enterprises.
“The Smart Accelerator is evidence of just this.”
* A joint industry initiative has been launched to support UK wave and tidal energy
The Crown Estate, Marine Scotland and Welsh Government will be funding Aquatera Ltd and their delivery partners MarineSpace and the European Marine Energy Centre.
They will form a secretariat function for the new Offshore Renewables Joint Industry Programme for Ocean Energy.