Construction has begun on EnergyWorks, a £9.1 million facility in Aberdeen for developing and manufacturing green energy technologies.
Backed by the Energy Transition Zone (ETZ) and expected to be operational in Autumn 2025, EnergyWorks will be the flagship of the ETZ Innovation Campus, which offers industrial and collaboration space alongside manufacturing and entrepreneurial support for firms looking to scale up.
ETZ EnergyWorks, the full title of the project unveiled by energy minister Michael Shanks today (19 November), was founded by ETZ Limited, a private sector-led not-for-profit funding body, energy major bp and Scottish Enterprise, a non-departmental public body of the Scottish government.
The manufacturing and innovation site will serve companies working across sectors including offshore wind, hydrogen and battery storage. ETZ chief executive Maggie McGinlay called EnergyWorks a “one-stop shop” for firms working across the energy transition.
Its offering will include an ecosystem of mentoring and entrepreneurial support from the EnergyWorks project partners.
The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) and the Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC) were delivery partners for the project. NMIS will operate a workshop at the site for advanced manufacturing support for development and innovation.
The UK government provided £5.5 million to the project, with £2 million from Scottish Enterprise alongside additional Scottish Government funding, and £1.25 million from bp.
According to those involved in the project, the building itself is being created with net zero principles “at its heart”, running on 100% green electricity—some of which will be generated by onsite solar panels.
The facility aims to attract an initial 15 tenants in its first year and generate dozens of green energy jobs annually. EnergyWorks is a key facet of ETZ Ltd’s stated goal to position North East Scotland as the net zero capital of Europe.
As Shanks pointed out, Aberdeen will also host Great British Energy, the government’s flagship energy company. He said: “This new government-backed EnergyWorks hub will build on the city’s highly skilled engineering workforce and cement Scotland’s role as a pioneer in renewable technology.”
GB Energy is, according to DESNZ, in “prime position” to accelerate Scotland’s pipeline of opportunities by harnessing the nation’s existing knowledge in project development, investment and work with local communities.
Government funding for green innovation
The Energy Transition Zone was awarded funding as part of a £62 million support package announced by the Scottish government in 2020. The Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub, delivered in partnership with bp also received support.
Referring to that, Oliver Taylor, vice president regional corporates and partnerships at bp UK & EU, said: “As the energy transition progresses, and new exciting projects move from planning to reality – like the bp and Aberdeen City Council green hydrogen hub – it’s vital we support our supply chain to transition too.
The Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (ORE) recently launched its fifth Fit for Offshore Renewables (F4OR) supply chain mentoring programme, exclusively for companies based in North East Scotland. ETZ Ltd committed £150,000 in funding support to this fifth round of F4OR, having previously supported the second, third and fourth rounds of F4OR.
The area has historically relied on the North Sea oil and gas industry and, although the economic case for transitioning away from that market is increasingly pressing, it is important that a just transition is supported by the government. The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) has been formed to oversee the UK’s offshore energy industries, ensuring the UK maximises the expertise of its North Sea industries and workers to deliver the country’s clean energy transition.
