Aberdeen City Council hosted MSPs from the Scottish Parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on a tour of the city’s hydrogen and sustainable energy facilities.
Deputy Convener Fiona Hyslop MSP, Jackie Dunbar MSP, Liam Kerr MSP, and Monica Lennon MSP saw the community-led renewable energy project at Donside Hydro, the anaerobic digestion (AD) plant and energy centre at TECA, and the Aberdeen City Hydrogen Energy Storage (ACHES) site in Cove today.
The tour is part of a series that enables Committee members to interact with local governments and partners and observe the work being done at clean-energy projects across the nation.
Aberdeen City Council has been at the forefront of delivering green energy technology, including funding an offshore wind turbine test site and collaborating with bp to establish a hydrogen production and distribution center.
The group met with Council co-leaders Alex Nicoll and Ian Yuill, as well as officers, to discuss the city’s energy transition plans and the Council’s involvement in achieving net-zero energy goals.
Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Alex Nicoll said: “We are pleased to welcome members of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee to the city today to showcase the pioneering work done in Aberdeen towards meeting climate change targets.
“We have a number of first-class facilities generating clean energy in Aberdeen already and are happy to share our experience and progress for the benefit of burgeoning projects
Aberdeen City Council Co-Leader Councillor Ian Yuill added: “We have had some very helpful discussions with our guests today which highlighted the importance of partnership working.
“Aberdeen City Council has ambitious targets set out in the Net Zero Route Map. It is vital that the Council work constructively with its partners, including the Scottish Government, to develop green energy projects so we can make a real, positive difference for our local and global environment.”
Committee Deputy Convener Fiona Hyslop MSP said: “So many of the key responsibilities in helping Scotland reach its net zero targets sit with local government. Issues such as travel, housing, recycling and the circular economy have a huge impact on Scotland’s environment.
“But we know that local government can’t make this change alone. That is why we want to see how councils across Scotland are working with their communities and building relationships with business, public agencies and the voluntary sector to embed these changes and make a difference to addressing climate change.
“Our visit to Aberdeen today helps us see first-hand this work in action and the positive work happening in our communities.”
