NEPTUNE

he ambition for transition to a Net-Zero economy creates unique challenges and opportunities that vary across the UK. The Shetland Islands, with their unique maritime eco-system, face implications and requirements for significant investments required to reach Net-Zero status. These demand careful planning and prioritisation of the stages for the Net-Zero transition. Financial, environmental, technical and human resources should be considered to create optimal, feasible, sustainable plans in the framework of circular economy.

NEPTUNE aims to facilitate this process by proving the feasibility of **developing a desk-based Decision Modelling and Support System (DEMOSS) digital tool to help analyse, scope and develop plans for supporting the maritime eco-system's transition to zero emission.** This will be based on a toolkit focusing on the reducing the cost of planning and implementation of zero-carbon energy systems for the islands' maritime and land-based assets. The pilot case will be based on the Shetland Islands but the tool could be used as an exemplar for other islands or ports and possibly scaled up to national level

This will facilitate the transformation of Shetland's current dependency on fossil fuels to affordable, renewable energy for both associated marine assets and onshore facilities, communities and industries. It will pave the way for and help to de-risk creating a green hydrogen export business at industrial scale on Shetland by harnessing offshore wind power and creating new jobs (Project ORION\*).

\*The Orion Project, initiated in April 2020, is a partnership between Shetland Islands Council, OGTC, Strathclyde University, and HIE that aims to transition Shetland away from its fossil fuel dependence at a local and industrial scale. The three key scopes of the project are the production, use, and export of hydrogen fuel and its derivatives, electrification and repurposing of onshore and offshore assets including oil and gas facilities, and industrial transformation centred around the Sullom Voe oil and gas region to service the future hydrogen, tidal, and offshore wind sectors. The project aims to connect developments ranging from the 457 MW wind farm that will be operational in 2024 to multiple future gigawatt projects in offshore regions.