PETERHEAD ENERGY TRANSITION FORUM BUILDS MOMENTUM ONE YEAR AFTER LAUNCHING AMBITIOUS VISION

The Forum was established to ensure Peterhead and the wider north-east capitalise on the unprecedented investment being made in low-carbon energy, building on the area's internationally recognised strengths in engineering, manufacturing, logistics and maritime services.

Its Vision highlighted the potential for around 8,000 high-value jobs, £1 billion of investment and £626 million in additional income over the coming decade through projects including carbon capture and storage, offshore renewables, hydrogen and electricity transmission.

The Forum brings together businesses, public bodies and education providers with a shared ambition to promote Peterhead as a leading destination for investment, strengthen collaboration across sectors and ensure local people and businesses benefit from the transition to a lower-carbon economy.

Since the Vision was launched, the Forum has focused on turning that ambition into practical action.

To give two examples, working groups covering Skills and Community Wealth Building have brought together organisations from across the public and private sectors to identify opportunities where collaboration can deliver lasting benefits for the region.

The Skills Working Group has been established to develop a co-ordinated approach to understanding future workforce requirements and ensuring local people have clear pathways into the jobs that will be created by the energy transition.

Its focus includes mapping existing skills and STEM initiatives across the region, identifying gaps in provision, improving links between schools, colleges and employers, and exploring initiatives such as industry taster sessions, scholarships, work experience opportunities, teacher upskilling and targeted training programmes that respond directly to employers' needs. The group will also work to ensure Peterhead's priorities are reflected in wider regional and national skills planning.

Alongside this, the Community Wealth Building Working Group has been established and has begun considering practical ways to maximise the benefits that major energy investments can bring to local communities.

Its early priorities include strengthening local procurement and supply chain opportunities, supporting social enterprises, improving access to employment and skills pathways and identifying opportunities to create long-term community benefits through investment in local assets and infrastructure. The group is also expanding its representation to ensure its work reflects the priorities of local communities and public sector partners, and welcomes approaches from interested PETF members.

The Forum itself has continued to grow over the past year, welcoming six new organisations: Augean, Motive Offshore Group, Nomad Infrastructure, Hitachi Energy, BAM and Balfour Beatty. Their addition broadens the Forum's expertise and reflects the increasing recognition of Peterhead's strategic importance in delivering Scotland's and the UK's energy ambitions.

Keith Mackie, Chair of the Peterhead Energy Transition Forum, said: "Launching the Vision last year marked the beginning of a long-term journey rather than the end of a piece of work. We recognised that Peterhead has a unique opportunity to become one of the UK's leading energy transition hubs, but achieving that requires organisations to work together in ways they perhaps haven't before.

"I'm delighted by the progress we've made during our first year. We've established active working groups, attracted new organisations from across the energy and infrastructure sectors and, perhaps most importantly, created an environment where organisations are sharing ideas and looking collectively at how we maximise the opportunities ahead.

"The Skills and Community Wealth Building groups are excellent examples of that collaborative approach. They are identifying practical actions that will help ensure investment translates into high-quality local jobs, stronger supply chains and lasting benefits for our communities."

Looking ahead, the Forum intends to build on the momentum created during the first year since the Vision launch.

Besides expanding the work of its existing working groups, the Forum will identify further areas where collaboration can accelerate investment and economic growth.

The Forum also plans to raise its profile through a stronger communications and marketing programme, develop a clearer brand identity and increase engagement with decision-makers in both Holyrood and Westminster to ensure Peterhead's opportunities and priorities remain firmly on the national agenda.

The Forum will also review its own structure and governance to ensure it remains sustainable, representative and effective as membership continues to grow.

Mr Mackie added: "The opportunities identified in our Vision remain every bit as significant today as they were a year ago. If anything, they have become even more important as energy security, economic growth and net zero continue to dominate national policy.

"Our focus now is on building on the strong foundations we've established, widening collaboration, attracting further investment and ensuring Peterhead is recognised nationally as a place that not only supports the energy transition but helps lead it.

"By continuing to work together we can create lasting prosperity for the region, delivering opportunities for local people, businesses and future generations."