Cheaper fuel plan for remote regions
A PROJECT to bring cheaper fuel to fish farms and other businesses in remote regions is seeking the go-ahead from the Scottish government.
Areas of Scotland and the north of England not served by the existing natural-gas grid stand to benefit from the initiative, which will supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) directly from Rosyth.
The LNG will be shipped by Stolt-Nielsen via small-scale LNG carriers and stored in bulk at the port, in Dunfermline, before being distributed by Flogas road tankers to fish farms and fish processing plants.
At present, remote regions’ off-grid natural gas is delivered by road tanker from Kent in south east England.The costs associated with the long distances are high, forcing many off-grid fisheries and processing plants to use oil or pay a premium for gas.
With a target completion date set for 2019, the scheme will deliver LNG more cost effectively, and help cut carbon emissions as users switch to the more environmentally friendly fuel.
Flogas’ head of sales Rob McCord said: ‘Often located in off grid locations, fisheries and fish processing plants will be among the biggest beneficiaries of this unique project. Not only will it help reduce energy costs, but it will also help cut carbon emissions.
‘We’re working on obtaining permits at the moment and once we have them construction will begin. Flogas already supplies gas to many off-grid businesses in Scotland, and the interest we have from potential new customers is huge.
‘The demand is certainly there.We now need to work with the Scottish government and our other stakeholders to bring the project to life.’