A £34mn fund to help manufacturing industries to reduce energy costs and cut emissions has been launched in Scotland.
On 11 December, the Scottish government unveiled the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (SIETF) which is open to industries where energy usage accounts for a substantial part of production costs. This includes the likes of cement, ceramics, chemicals, oil and gas refining, and food and drink, all of which are among some of the most energy intensive sectors in the country.
The food and drink sector, however, was noted as already being involved in initiatives to become more sustainable. It has engaged in greenhouse gas reduction measures such as the decarbonisation of process heat using hydrogen and given an increased focus to low carbon logistics. This work will be able to continue through the fund, which allows businesses to apply for match funded grants of more than £125,000.
The funds can then be used to invest in energy efficiency and low carbon technologies, including systems that can recover and re-use heat from an industrial process and technology that lowers the amount of energy used within a manufacturing production line.
