SCOTLAND'S energy minister Gillian Martin will this week lead a trade delegation to Denmark, it has been announced.
Martin will be in Copenhagen to tout the country’s renewable sector in meetings with the Danish Parliament’s Climate, Energy and Supply Committee, the country’s energy agency and North Sea wind turbine manufacturer Esbjerg Port.
The Aberdeenshire East MSP also said that the two freeports created in Scotland will offer more opportunities for trade with Nordic countries.
Along with the minister, Scottish Renewables, Crown Estate Scotland, SSE and representatives of ports in Aberdeen and the Forth will also join the delegation.
It comes after Energy Secretary Neil Gray's trade trip to Japan in April, which led to an agreement with a firm to build a new cable factory in the Highlands.
Ahead of leaving for Denmark, Martin (below) said: “The North Sea offers great opportunities for collaboration in energy industries where Scotland and Denmark enjoy competitive advantages, such as wind, hydrogen and carbon storage.
"These technologies will be vital to reaching net zero.
“The Scottish Government is working with investors to develop projects which will enable large-scale energy production and export to Europe.
“The development of two green freeports in Scotland will offer more businesses the chance to establish Nordic trade.
“As our Programme for Government sets out, we will accelerate further economic growth in these areas, including seizing the enormous economic benefits which being a world leader of the green energy revolution presents.
“Our rich natural resources put Scotland and Denmark at the forefront of the just transition, a green revolution which will prioritise sustainable jobs and a wellbeing economy.
“By fostering close relationships and sharing knowledge, we can help our supply chains take full advantage of the huge renewable energy capacity of the North Sea.”
In January, the locations of Scotland's two green freeports were revealed after selection by both the Scottish and UK Governments.
Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport and Forth Green Freeport were the winning bids, set to be given £52 million in start-up funding. They will benefit from tax relief and other incentives through a range of devolved and reserved areas.
We previously told how Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy Secretary Gray (above) visited Japan in April last year in a bid to seek renewables investment.
During the trip, it was announced that Sumitomo Electric is preparing to build a large factory in the Highlands to make sub-sea high-voltage cables.
The locations, scale and the number of jobs required for the Highland plant have not yet been revealed.
