Isles host Nordic energy conference

Gavin Morgan

27 June, 2007

MORE than 100 delegates from North America and Scandinavia are expected to converge on Shetland for two major international sessions on renewable energy.

Experts from Greenland, Canada, Sweden, Norway and Iceland are expected to come to the 'Energy from the Edge" conference, being organised by Shetland Islands Council in September.

The conference will examine the role remote communities can play in tackling the enormous challenges which lie ahead for energy production.

The five key themes will be 'sustainable energy'; 'large scale resource development in remote communities'; 'labour market mobility'; 'prosperity through identity'; and 'governance'.

The conference will take place the same week as a symposium for the Nordic Council of Ministers, when government ministers and civil servants from the "Nordic rim" will gather to discuss the issue of green energy.

Their findings will be fed back into the Energy from the Edge conference, where information such as Iceland's development of hydrogen energy will be shared.

Shetland will contribute its experience from planning the Viking Energy wind farm project, the

PURE hydrogen project in Unst, examining the potential for tidal and wave energy and other initiatives.

SIC head of business development Douglas Irvine, who has been organising the events, said the aim was to build networks across the region and share information.

"These topics are relevant to Shetland and we are trying to learn from the experience of other areas," Mr Irvine said, adding that it would have the added bonus of bringing visitors to the isles during the "shoulder season" for tourists.

SIC convener Sandy Cluness said it would be "an excellent opportunity to enhance Shetland's relationship with our North Atlantic partners whilst building on our shared knowledge of renewable energy".

After the conference all the papers and findings will be published on a dedicated website at www.energyfromtheedge.com which will be maintained for at least 12 months after the event. It is already being used to sign up for the event.

The symposium running from 11 to 13 September (www.nordicenergy.net/symposium) will be hosted by the new Shetland Museum and Archives, while the Lerwick's Clickimin Leisure Complex, will host the conference from 12 to 14 September.

Assisting the SIC in setting up the conference are the North Atlantic Forum (NAF), North Atlantic Co-operation (NORA), the International Society for the Study of Marginal Regions (ISSMR) and HIE Shetland.