RGU awarded funding to set up hydrogen testing facility

RGU has been awarded £1.2million of funding by the Scottish Government to establish a hydrogen testing facility at the National Subsea Centre (NSC) in Aberdeen. First Minister Humza Yousaf publicly announced funding for this project at the All-Energy Conference in Glasgow last month.

The funding comes as part of the Hydrogen Innovation Scheme, a £7million capital funding stream of the Emerging Energy Technologies Fund (EETF), designed to support the development of renewable hydrogen technologies needed to support the Scottish Government’s ambition of 5GW installed hydrogen production capacity by 2030.

The testing facility, Hy-One, is a comprehensive one-stop hydrogen storage testing facility, providing plug-and-play testing and demonstrations for hydrogen storage systems and prototypes. The facility will support the development, demonstration and implementation of small-to-largescale compressed hydrogen storage vessels and their accessories.

Professor John McCall, NSC Director, said: “This fantastic award from the Scottish Government is a major boost for the National Subsea Centre’s Integrated Energy research programme and will build on the existing research strengths of our team.

“As one of the globe’s pioneering hydrogen cities, Aberdeen is the ideal location for the new testing facility as its importance as a green energy hub grows.”

Professor James Njuguna, School of Engineering Associate Dean for Research and Knowledge Exchange at RGU and RSE Fellow, said: “Receiving this funding represents a very exciting opportunity as the Hy-One testing facility will directly impact Scotland’s increasing production of green hydrogen and will enhance renewable energy and zero carbon production.

“Hy-One will fast-track the availability of local testing and support services on storage materials, accessories and products to acceptable industrial standards. As a result of this, research and development costs will be lower and design time to commercialisation routes will shorten.

“We envisage that the certification process will provide third-party confidence in quality assurance of the tested components while also supporting academic research, job creation and training on green hydrogen.”

TGT Diagnostics has announced it has signed an agreement to build a new technology hub in Abu Dhabi.

The category leader in diagnostics for the hydrocarbon energy sector said it will make a significant investment in a new state-of-the-art facility under an agreement with Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi - KEZAD Group.

Gary: Tank Commander will be entertaining the troops at Aberdeen’s His Majesty’s Theatre this festive season as he joins the cast of this year’s pantomime Sleeping Beauty, Aberdeen Performing Arts has announced.

Gary joins panto Dame extraordinaire Alan McHugh as Nurse Nellie Macduff, comic actor and River City Star Paul J Corrigan as Slimeball and Aberdeen’s own Danielle Jam who returns this year as The Spirit of Pantomime.

Aberdeen Performing Arts Director of Programming and Creative Projects, Ben Torrie said: “We are pure buzzing to say Hiya to Gary and give him a huge HMT welcome this festive season alongside our beloved Dame, Alan McHugh, our favourite cheeky chappie PJ Corrigan and the fabulous Danielle Jam. There is nowhere more magical than His Majesty’s Theatre in panto season and we can’t wait to see what this amazing cast have in store!”

Aberdeen-based Wellhead Electrical Supplies (WES), providers of electrical and hazardous area equipment, has announced a new collaboration that is set to drive growth in the offshore industry.

Thanks to a recently renewed partnership agreement with Orga, WES has upgraded its range of Tideland signal marine lanterns and supportive spares, in a deal that marks a significant step change for the offshore and marine sectors.

The partnership between WES and Orga aligns with Wellhead’s growth trajectory as the company steps up to become the leading global supplier of Tideland signal products and the only partner in the world to hold stock items. WES has been working alongside Orga for over 25 years, with this new agreement lighting the way for a new chapter to bring a host of benefits to an existing client base and prospective new markets.

Specsavers in Aberdeen recently held a dinner to celebrate the dedication and commitment of its staff.

Fifteen long-service staff of more than 10 years attended a special dinner at the No. 10 Bar and Restaurant in the heart of the west end of the city to commend their dedication.

The event brought together 15 current staff and past director David Quigley, who served at the store for 25 years. Together, the attendees have over 260 years of service shared between them.

David McGinty, Ophthalmic Director at Specsavers Aberdeen, says: “Our store and Specsavers at large, pride ourselves on the extensive career opportunities and the rewarding workplace culture that we have curated over the last 30 years.

“All of us here are proud of our work which improves the quality of life for people all across the city. I have no doubt that many of my colleagues will be able to say the same in another 25 years.”

Aberdeen-based Sales Enablement Consultancy, Doqaru, has launched its 2nd annual sales research report, which outlines the state of sales skills in UK SMEs.

The report shows that there needs to be a deeper understanding of the skills required in each type of sales role. For instance, the hiring process focuses more on recruiting likeable, technically minded salespersons and less on actual selling skills. Once the salesperson is in the door, they are less likely to improve their sales skills, with 8 out of 10 SMEs having no budget for sales training.

A healthy eating initiative established by local family support charity, Home-Start Aberdeen, will double in size thanks to a significant donation from North Sea operating company, Anasuria Operating Company (AOC). The Recipe for Life project will support families with practical cooking skills, advice on food budgeting, shopping and healthy living.

“It’s fantastic to be doubling our efforts on Recipe for Life with this support from Anasuria, and we’re absolutely delighted to be their chosen charity for 2023/24,” says Eleanor McEwan, CEO of Home-Start Aberdeen.

“Coming hot on the heels of a global pandemic, the current cost of living crisis has left more families struggling to cope, with an estimated 1 in 5 of Aberdeen’s children now living in poverty. There are many parents out there with little or no practical cooking experience who want to make changes but don’t know where to start. Through Recipe for Life, we can help parents build their cooking skills and confidence and gain a better understanding of how to improve their family’s diet.”

Through the provision of one-to-one cooking sessions in families’ own homes with a trained volunteer, food packs, recipes, kitchen equipment, group cooking and food sharing sessions, the project improves family diets, and increases their knowledge, skills and confidence around cooking and healthy eating.

Richard Beattie CEO of Anasuria Operating Company said: “Anasuria Operating Company (AOC) is delighted to be supporting Home-Start. Our business is fully aligned with the charity’s aim to provide children with a safe and nurturing environment in which to grow and thrive, something we all want for our children. We recognise the importance of giving back to the local community, especially during these challenging times and we hope that Anasuria Operating Company’s support plays a small but important part to help address some of the broader social issues that affect families in the Aberdeen area. We are thrilled to begin this partnership and provide ongoing support to Home-Start.”

Aberdeen Inspired has unveiled the city walls earmarked to be transformed into eye-catching Nuart murals next month. One of the highly anticipated locations is the car park at Aberdeen International Airport.

A world-class line-up of street artists will descend on the Granite City on June 8 to turn a number of buildings into vibrant works of art under the theme of “rewilding”.

These include the Primark building at Rennie’s Wind, Annan House on Poynernook Road, and walls on Flourmill Lane, Crooked Lane, Thistle Lane and Rose Street.

Imagine being handed a diagnosis that made you question everything, including the job you have been doing every day for over a decade.

For more than 10 years, Suzanne Edmond had been working at an elite level in corporate communications, dealing with crises where reputations were on the line.

All of a sudden, she was presented with a diagnosis which left her with a crisis of her own, and left her concerned for her own reputation. She was dyslexic.

“I didn’t find out I was dyslexic until I was in my early thirties,” she told Business Bulletin.

“It drove my love of storytelling, spurred my creative thinking, and enabled me to always see the big picture. I was often accused of rushing or jumping to the end, but really, I was just joining the dots in a different order.

“True, my spelling and grammar lack finesse, and my memory recall for facts rarely gets me invites to pub quizzes. However, by understanding my strengths and weaknesses, I was able to develop the perseverance to overcome both.

“However, I was lucky. I had an amazing coach who identified my dyslexia and supported me throughout. I was even luckier to then work in an organisation where people were encouraged to bring their whole selves to work. Not everyone is.

“If sharing my story helps inspire even one person to recognise, embrace and celebrate their dyslexic thinking, then it’s worth it.”

Her inspirational story is one of achievement, and Suzanne has worked in some of the most highprofile, and high-pressured, roles in her industry.

During five years as Director of Communications at the UK Government during Brexit and the CV19 pandemic, she operated within an organisation which was in a perpetual state of crisis.

She has also worked for some of the biggest companies in the FTSE 100, including Shell and Centrica. So how do you stay calm - and communicate clearly - when chaos is all around you?

On August 25, Suzanne will host a masterclass in crisis communication at Aberdeen Arts Centre as part of the Chamber’s Ultimate Masterclass Festival, in association with TotalEnergies.

Ahead of the event – which is being sponsored by Aspect – we asked Suzanne to share some tips:

Can you describe some of the high-pressure communications situations you have worked in?

“Gosh, where to start! I spent the first half of my career planning for crises, mainly in the oil and gas sector for Shell and Centrica Energy International, then the more recent part managing them. I’ve led the communications response to several crises, including for the collapse of Thomas Cook and FlyBe, where we were able to prepare to some extent about how to handle it.

“Ones that struck entirely out of the blue stick in the mind, like drones at Gatwick and the unexpected closure of the UK-French border in Christmas 2020. As do ones that are better defined as permacrisis, like managing domestic and international travel restrictions during CV19.

“I promise I’m not a bad omen…”

What do you think are the key things people need to do when dealing with crisis communications?

“There are three things that I believe are critical to leading during a crisis: calm, control, and compassion.

“Being calm is key, however you may feel inside, because otherwise things can very quickly escalate in high-pressured situations. That’s especially true when dealing with your team and Executive Committee, Board or – as it was in my case for many years – the Government’s COBRA meetings.

“Showing you’re in control will reassure others. Having a clear plan helps, and the better prepared you are the easier this part is to execute. So, it’s hugely important to prioritise regularly reviewing, updating, and exercising your crisis communications plan.

“Finally, while we often must adopt a more command and control approach in a crisis, forget compassion at your peril. Leading communications in a crisis is very similar to any other time, just magnified. You need a clear strategy, a great team to deliver it and that extra ingredient that makes people want to go the extra mile to deliver it with/for you.”

What are the most common mistakes you see in crisis communications?

“Losing sight of the big picture. While checklists can provide helpful prompts, it’s far more important to stand back, take a deep breath and look at the big picture of what’s going on.

“I’ve seen leaders crumble due to lack of sleep, reluctance to delegate and losing their perspective as a result. A crisis doesn’t need a superhero, it needs a justice league! (other franchises are available).

“However, the biggest risk, is storing up problems for the future. You can become so focused on managing the incident at hand, that sometimes you can miss something even bigger on the horizon. If you want to hear the worst mistake I ever made on that front, you can ask me when I’m up in August….”

What can neurodivergence bring to an organisation?

“When neurodiversity is recognised and properly supported, it brings with it a wealth of creativity and new perspectives. When it’s not, and I speak from experience here, it slowly erodes away your confidence and leaves you struggling on tasks that you’re not necessarily best suited for. That also means that organisations miss out on the many talents that neurodiverse people have.

“We need to embrace diversity and inclusion in its widest sense and learn from each other, as that’s the only way we can all make the most of our potential as individuals and help build the best possible teams.

“I founded my business, Moxy Communications, on the belief that dyslexic think can help us find the creative solutions to today’s unprecedented communications challenges. And let’s be honest, we have a lot to contend with right now, so the more diverse ideas the better.

“Besides, some of the best inventions we have today were the product of dyslexic thinking.”

Tickets for Don’t Panic: How to communicate in a crisis are available now and can be purchased at umf.events

The world’s first fully remote inspection of offshore wind farm assets has been successfully carried out by Fugro, using one of its Blue Essence® uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) with Blue Volta®, an electrical remotely operated vehicle (eROV).

The inspection at the Aberdeen offshore wind farm in the North Sea (also known as the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre) was jointly funded by Vattenfall and Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult. This partnership gives innovators in the offshore wind supply chain the opportunity to test and prove technologies in realworld conditions to support innovation in operations and maintenance.

Blue Essence® is the first USV to receive approval from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to operate fully remotely with an eROV and undertake surveys in UK waters. The eROV, which was remotely launched and recovered from Fugro’s remote operations centre (ROC) in Aberdeen, delivered a number of inspections on the structure of the wind turbines to assess their stability and safety. A detailed map of the seabed was also created using data gathered from a deepwater multibeam echosounder sensor mounted on the hull of the vessel. The acquired Geodata was accessed in real-time, allowing Vattenfall to make quick decisions about their asset maintenance programme.

Blue Essence® forms part of Fugro’s wider strategy towards more uncrewed operations for greater agility, safety and sustainability; the vessel can spend up to two weeks executing inspection activities at sea without refuelling resulting in a 95 % reduction in carbon emissions compared to conventional ROV support vessels.