Scottish Water shines in galaxy of Scottish Green Energy award winners

The UK’s largest community-owned wind farm and Scottish Water are among more than 20 winners in the Scottish Green Energy awards.

Scottish Water’s “pioneering” programme to cut its £45 million annual energy bill – Scotland’s largest – using renewable energy won the Renewing Scotland award, while the UK’s largest community-owned wind farm, three-turbine Beinn Ghrideag on the Isle of Lewis, was named as Best Community Project.

Scottish Water – which delivers 1.34 billion litres of drinking water and treats 847 million litres of waste water every day – is Scotland’s biggest consumer of electricity.

In the last two years the company has doubled the amount of renewable power generated at treatment works, meaning several now generate more than they consume.

The company has installed the world’s first “Difgen” hydro turbine – which controls water pressure while simultaneously generating electricity – in a main near Denny, and also operates 14 wind and 18 solar schemes. Other winners include:

• Best Innovation: Accelerating Renewables Connections by SP Energy Networks, Community Energy Scotland, Smarter Grid Solutions and Strathclyde University
• Best Supplier: Green Marine (UK) Ltd and Leask Marine Ltd, both Orkney
• Business Growth: Locogen
• Champion of Renewables: John Cridland CBE, former Director-General, CBI
• Engineering Excellence: Atkins and Burntisland Fabrications
• Export Award: Sgurr Energy (Glasgow)
• Outstanding Contribution: Allan MacAskill
• Rising Star: Irina Cortizo, Atkins

Niall Stuart, Chief Executive, Scottish Renewables –  the trade association which organised the awards – said: “As world leaders meet in Paris to tackle climate change there is much to celebrate here in Scotland.

“While the last few months have been incredibly challenging for the industry due to major changes in support from the UK Government, there remains a huge amount of determination, innovation and creativity that we can and should all be proud of.”