Orkney pioneer project

Since the UK's first grid-connected wind turbine started generating electricity in 1951, Orkney has been a world leading testbed for renewable energy and decarbonisation - pioneering innovative approaches and technologies; and growing a collaborative, expert community of keen early adopters and volunteers for pilots and projects.

Featuring leadership and involvement of long established and effective local partnerships between Aquatera, Orkney Islands Council, the European Marine Energy Centre, Community Energy Scotland and ReFLEX Orkney Ltd the NZPP Orkney project will build on this tradition of innovation success and pioneering development activity.

These partners have significant real-world experience of non-technical barriers to achieving innovation in energy solutions, which include regulation, policy, finance, behavioural change and challenges with restrictions around the grid network. Following previous work such as the Orkney ReFLEX project, these issues are well understood but have proven wicked problems to address to date. The NZPP project will specifically engage with these known difficulties -- unlocking new and innovative solutions which can secure further progress for Orkney in decarbonisation.

The Project will also take place in sequence directly after core funding completes for ReFLEX Orkney, and the launch of the new Islands Deal _Islands Centre for Net Zero project_. The ICNZ also involves the Orkney NZPP partners, and Heriot Watt University - in a 10 year programme to create a pan-island innovation Centre that will support Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides. The NZPP project will therefore enable a jump start for key thematic objectives which can underpin the future work of the ICNZ - ensuring accelerated solutions to decarbonisation for Orkney and the Scottish Islands which will in turn have replicability and application worldwide.

Transition and transferability of understanding of challenges and solutions development are critical hallmarks of the NZPP project process. This will form a foundation of the Orkney project from the outset -- with direct collaboration already in place to link in with a parallel bid led by Shetland Islands Council to pursue a NZPP agenda for Shetland linked to energy hubs. There will be mutual benefit in the cumulative activity between Orkney and Shetland associated with these pilot projects -- reflecting the strong traditions of both Orkney and Shetland as innovative island communities; and presenting an effective pathway to the future work of the ICNZ which will further enable this partnership to include experience and challenges of communities across the Western Isles and beyond.