ETZ recieves royal seal of approval

His Majesty The King visited the Energy Transition Zone in Aberdeen on Tuesday 22 September, where he marked the official opening of ETZ EnergyWorks, the UK's first dedicated low carbon energy incubator and scale-up hub.

ETZ EnergyWorks is founded by ETZ Ltd, bp and Scottish Enterprise, supported by the UK and Scottish Governments and delivered in partnership with National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) and the Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC). ​The state of the art £10 million 3,000 square-metre facility combines industrial and workshop space with co-working, collaboration and meeting areas, providing early-stage companies with the support they need to succeed.

His Majesty undertook a tour of the Hub, meeting representatives of its first tenants, each of whom are developing innovative low carbon energy technologies and accessing the unique blend of growth support and manufacturing expertise, provided by ETZ EnergyWorks, to scale and grow.

Following a formal welcome by ETZ Ltd Chair, Trevor Garlick, His Majesty marked the official opening of the facility by unveiling a plaque made by Aberdeenshire company Highland Heritage Woodworks, using leftover materials from the construction of the building which has been constructed sustainably throughout, embodying UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard 2030 benchmarks.

The dedicated scale up Hub is the third transformational project established in the Energy Transition Zone, following the completion of world’s first National Floating Wind Innovation Centre operated by ORE-Catapult and Scotland’s largest dedicated Energy Transition Skills Hub operated by North East Scotland College (NESCol).

Located next to the recently completed £420 million deepwater, non-tidal Aberdeen South harbour, the Zone is transforming into a dynamic all-energy ecosystem and the most attractive location in Europe for investment in low carbon technologies.

ETZ Ltd Chair, Trevor Garlick, said:

“It was an honour to welcome His Majesty The King to mark the formal opening of ETZ EnergyWorks, a significant and hugely positive milestone for our company and North East Scotland’s energy transition ambition more broadly.

“We are very grateful for the time His Majesty spent meeting with this remarkable facility’s first tenants, all of whom embody the entrepreneurial and pioneering determination that has underpinned Aberdeen’s global energy success story over the last fifty years.

“This regions’ world-class supply chain is our greatest strength: a source of innovation, skills, exports and long-term economic opportunity. The entire concept behind the creation of ETZ EnergyWorks is to build on that platform of success and give the next generation of early stage, entrepreneurial businesses access to a unique blend of growth support and manufacturing expertise, so they can grow, scale and prosper.”

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said:

“Aberdeen has been at the heart of Britain’s energy story for more than half a century and now has the expertise and supply chains that are invaluable to the energy transition.

"The UK Government has backed the EnergyWorks hub to build on this legacy, supporting the next generation of innovators to power Britain for generations to come."

Adrian Gillespie, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise, said:

“As a founding partner of EnergyWorks, Scottish Enterprise is proud to support a significant addition to Scotland's energy transition infrastructure. The facility will help ambitious companies test, develop and commercialise new technologies, creating jobs, attracting investment and strengthening Scotland's clean energy supply chain.

“Together with wider investment across the Energy Transition Zone, it further enhances Aberdeen's reputation as a globally recognised centre for low-carbon energy and innovation."

Gerry Agnew, co-founder of aviation clean tech startup Hypanode, an EnergyWorks start-up, said:

“It was a real privilege to show His Majesty what we are working on and explain why we have chosen Aberdeen as the place to grow Hypanode.

“We are developing a new power system for aviation, and the depth of engineering expertise here was a big part of our decision to base ourselves in the North East. EnergyWorks gives us the right environment to take forward our recently announced £9m ARIA-backed project, moving the technology towards real-world demonstration and, ultimately, commercial scale.