Plans have been unveiled for a renewable energy plant designed to deliver between 150 and 200 megawatts, potentially powering thousands of homes across the north east of Scotland.
The development is earmarked to be built on a 40 hectare site close to the existing Peterhead Power Station, with investment group North China Power Engineering pledging £500m for the build-out phase.
It is estimated that 1,500 jobs will be created to build the energy park, with a further 250 permanent jobs coming once it is operational. The developers, Edinburgh-based Holistic Energy hope to commence construction in 2023, with the plant scheduled to be operational by 2026.
Holistic Energy has completed a feasibility and evaluation study, which gave an outline layout of the facility, the range of technologies to be used and how these will ensure the best possible efficiency and the lowest environmental impact.
The energy generation technologies to be used include a mixed fuel gasification and biomass, a green biodiesel production facility and an aerobic digestion plant. These will be housed alongside solar, wind energy, a green hydrogen production facility and battery storage facilities.
As a second phase to the project, Holistic Energy plans to explore the deep geothermal potential of the site.
The company plans to work with several partners in the design, engineering and construction phases, including Aberdeen-based Wood Group and XL Group, as well as Will Rudd Davidson and Bell Ingram Design.
The backdrop to the proposed Renewable Energy Park in Peterhead is the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan, which sets out a strategic framework to transition Scotland’s emissions from electricity generation to adopting a low carbon-based infrastructure for its future energy needs.
Dr Gen Cannibal, director of Holistic Energy, explained: “The facility will have three primary purposes – to produce a local renewable power station in Peterhead which can approach the most commonly identified barriers to renewable uptake, to form a major R&D facility for new technologies that have reached the marketable stage but have not, as of yet, attained large scale market application in the UK, and thirdly, to provide a significant replacement to gas-powered plants in satisfying Scottish electricity demands.”
The Renewable Energy Village is being supported by Aberdeenshire Council Economic Development Service and Opportunity North East.
Cannibal mentioned that his Glasgow-based company, born out of previous venture Newfield Energy, has received no local or national government funding, but has had Letters of Interest in the developed from a consortium of US insurance companies.
