Presentations

Following the official AGM business there was an open discussion about topics OREF should follow in the comping year.

https://youtu.be/Fyvx74WlCzk?si=gbWhbDAt-uZcYoDB A place-based model for decarbonisation in rural and island communities The Rural Energy Hubs project, based in Orkney and Shetland, developed a replicable model for a genuinely place-based, community-led approach to overcoming non-technical barriers and accelerating decarbonisation in rural and island communities. The … Read More

OREF held Orkney’s first hustings for the present elections to quiz the prospective MSPs on how they can contribute to a renewably powered future. The SNP, Labour, Lib Dem and Conservative candidates attended. The Green candidate was held up by the ferry disruption and … Read More

Following an introduction to the Orkney energy picture by Gareth Davies, Dan McGrail, CEO of Great British Energy, explained their plans to promote their Local Power Plan. Dan and his team were up for a 3 day visit to Orkney and were able to … Read More

At this OREF event on 3rd of March at the ICNZ Hub, Stromness, Gareth Davies stepped in to give a thought-provoking update on robotics and its applicability to the marine environment, and specifically to Orkney’s potential role in demonstrating the technology.

The intermittent nature of established renewables like wind and solar is a challenge in the ongoing transition to renewable energy and the steadily growing demand for electricity. These production gaps need to be addressed to secure a sufficient, stable, and sustainable energy system in … Read More

Stuart Brown (BEng Hons Mech/Env Eng, CEng, MIMechE), of Deerness Distillery, has designed and built 3 large scale Anaerobic Digestion plants of between 2MW to 4MW (1 in Australia and 2 in UK). At this event which took place on 7th October 2025, Stuart … Read More

  On the evening of Tuesday 5th August, Stromness Museum and OREF co-hosted an event for OREF members. The Museum kindly offered a private viewing of their exhibition ‘Powered by People’ which is on the subject of the energy industry in Orkney before a … Read More

On 1st July, Ross Henderson of Horizontal Directional Drilling contractor OCU Group presented how their technology is forming a key part of the 220MW Orkney Project transmission link. This Trenchless technique significantly reduces disruption by being able to install cable ducts and pipelines under … Read More

The UK’s Department of Transport has just published a Marine Decarbonisation Strategy and it offers significant opportunities for Orkney.  On Tuesday 10th June, following the OREF AGM, joint chair Neil Kermode outlined some of these for wider discussion in the room.  

The future planning of the energy system and Orkney’s place in it Recorded live on Tuesday, 20th May at 7pm in the King Street Halls, this special OREF event features Fergus Tickell from the National Energy System Operator (NESO) discussing how the UK is planning … Read More

Postcards from the Future Methods Research in Transition Engineering Did you have a History class in school?  Did you have a Future class in school? We live in a land where History is part of life, and we trust Archaeologists, Historians and Curators to … Read More

  At this OREF event Voar Energy, supported by Community Energy Scotland and Aquatera, presented details of recent work completed on the options for community benefit from on and offshore wind projects. The team have recently delivered a report for Shetland Islands council on … Read More

This OREF event provided an opportunity to hear about the latest developments in Robotics technology its capabilities and how this will be an opportunity for the renewables sector. Stewart Miller the CEO of the National Robotarium gave an interesting talk about how AI is … Read More

There have been significant changes in the Planning system as a result of the introduction of National Planning Framework 4 and these affect the production of Orkney’s Local Plan. At this OREF event held on 4th February 2025, Susan Shearer, Service Manager and Erica … Read More

At this OREF event on 7th January 2025, Becky Ford and Mark Hull of Community Energy Scotland tell us about the Island Community Action Network (iCAN) which looks to help communities work together in response to the climate and biodiversity crisis. iCAN is facilitating … Read More

When tidal farms are deployed at large scales, they will affect each other in ways that raise challenges for planning and policy. If we are to obtain the maximum possible energy yield for a given level of environmental impact – or the minimum impact … Read More

TRANSECTS Project The current shift to marine renewable energies, with UK investment to top £150bn, will likely transform the sustainability and resilience of coastal communities and adjacent seas. History tells us that previous energy transitions have led to profound environmental and socio-cultural change for local … Read More

GREEN AND BLUE HORIZONS Orkney’s role as an energy exporter has continued to develop, with oil joined today by wind, tide and wave developments that have put it on the world stage for renewables, and with offshore wind on the way. Work has expanded … Read More