Three universities are to help Scotland meet its carbon emission reduction
targets through a number of new cutting edge projects.
Strathclyde, Stirling and St Andrews universities will receive a total of
£20 million from the Scottish Government through the Scottish Funding
Council (SFC), as part of a programme of investment in carbon reduction
developments, which could become demonstrator projects for other bodies.
The projects are as follows:
- £10 million to St Andrews University for a wood-fuelled
biomass project at Guardbridge in Fife
- £8 million to Strathclyde University to construct a combined
heat, power and district energy network, linking Strathclyde’s campus
with major energy users in the area
- £2 million to Stirling University for the installation of a
Combined Heat and Power plant to serve its main campus.
Education Secretary Michael Russell yesterday said:
“Today’s announcement further underlines both the value of our
universities in leading research and innovation and Scotland’s ambitions
for low carbon energy.
“Investment for these three universities will not only contribute to
reducing our carbon emissions, their work will offer other bodies the
opportunity to learn from their work, develop their own projects and further
enhance Scotland’s global reputation in this area.
Minister for Environment Paul Wheelhouse added:
“Climate change is a serious issue both here in Scotland and further
afield and all work to limit the impact of this global issue is to be
welcomed.
“Scotland’s Higher Education sector is very well placed to make
a significant contribution, both in research and in action, to carbon
reduction, and the projects being funded have the potential to make a real
difference to reducing our carbon emissions.
Laurence Howells, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, also
said:
“These are exciting investments with huge potential, not least because
they tap into the world-leading knowledge within our universities and allow
them to show what the future could be for carbon reduction in Scotland. We see
this as an important step forward but recognise there is still much more to be
done. No one can be complacent about protecting our environment.”
Notes To Editors
Full details of the projects are as follows:
- At St Andrews, SFC’s 10 million investment will be part of a
£25 million renewable energy project at Guardbridge to generate combined
heat and power through wood-fuelled biomass. The plant will produce hot water
to be pumped four miles underground to heat and cool laboratories and
residences in the university.
- Strathclyde University has received £8 million to construct a
combined heat, power and district energy network which, as part of the
multi-agency Sustainable Glasgow initiative across the city, will also benefit
the wider community. The project is to create a network that will link together
Strathclyde’s campus with major energy users in the area, including the
existing SFC-funded district heating project at Glasgow Caledonian University
and the City of Glasgow College’s energy infrastructure.
- Stirling University will receive £2 million for the
installation of a Combined Heat and Power plant to serve its main campus and
the conversion of its existing district heating system to a low temperature.
The heat produced as a by-product of the Combined Heat Power plant will be used
in the district heating system, producing a projected annual reduction in
carbon emissions of 3,597 tonnes.