A new hub to allow Scottish companies to access the burgeoning renewable energy market in Japan was officially launched last week by the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop during a visit to Nagasaki.
The centre, called ‘Scotland House’, will be based at the Nagasaki Dejima Incubator (D-FLAG) in the south East of Japan. The space is available for free to Scottish companies and stakeholders while they build relationships with the Japanese offshore renewables and marine energy sector.
Nagasaki has been identified as a major area for renewable energy in Japan. The Japanese Government has pledged over £200bn in funds to assist the transition to new forms of power and is looking to deregulate the Japanese electricity market in order to speed up the development of new sources of power.
The Scottish Government has identified renewable energy as growth opportunity for Scottish businesses sharing their expertise with the Japanese. Scotland achieved record levels of green energy generation in 2014, with almost half of all electricity used coming from renewables.
Hyslop said: “The Japanese Government now sees offshore renewables as one of the potential solutions to replace the 25 per cent of electricity previously provided by their 53 nuclear power stations
“Our objective is to use Scotland’s expertise to help the Japanese harness the vast energy wealth and the multiple benefits renewables can offer – reducing our carbon emissions, creating jobs and investment and improving energy security.
“There is clearly a willingness and appetite on both sides to further develop our co-operation, symbolised by the offer of the Nagasaki Marine Industry Cluster Promotion Association for Scotland House to be co-located with them at the Nagasaki Dejima Incubator.”