Scotland Opens New £60 Million Low-Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme

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The Scottish Government has this week committed £60 million in funding to its Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme, which seeks to fund large-scale low-carbon projects that support the country’s Energy Strategy.

The Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP) was originally launched back in March of 2015, and has since offered £40 million in funding to 16 low-carbon demonstrator projects that support low-carbon energy generation, and has supported the co-development of over 30 proof of concept and development proposals.

The new announcement made this week by the Scottish Government is a new round of funding amounting to £60 million, co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Applications are now open for projects which deliver low-carbon heating solutions, integrated energy systems, and ultra-low emission vehicle charging infrastructure. Projects can apply for up to £100,000 in order to develop investment-ready business cases, or capital–ready projects can seek financial support of up to 50% of the total capital value of a project up to a maximum of £10 million per project.

“We have, first and foremost, a moral obligation to fight climate change,” said Scotland’s Climate Change Secretary, Roseanna Cunningham, who officially launched the fund. “But for a nation with Scotland’s resources and skills, the transition to a more prosperous, low carbon and circular economy also presents a valuable economic opportunity.

“We are determined to attract, retain and develop the low carbon innovators who will shape our future. That is why, I am delighted to confirm that we are now accepting applications from innovative local energy projects to the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme.”

The news was welcomed by supporters of Scotland’s low-carbon goals and accomplishments.

“It will be hugely exciting to see what new technology and low carbon solutions will be developed in Scotland thanks to this new fund,” said Dr Sam Gardner, Acting Director at WWF Scotland. “Innovation in heating, transport and electricity will help us cut emissions, create new jobs and build new industry. We know there will be challenges in implementing the transition to a low-carbon economy but we should grasp the opportunity to build solutions for the rest of the world to adopt.

“To speed up this change, Scotland’s forthcoming Climate Change Bill must set a net zero greenhouse gas target by 2050. This would help shape a new market and attract global investment.”


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Joshua S Hill

I'm a Christian, a nerd, a geek, and I believe that we're pretty quickly directing planet-Earth into hell in a handbasket! I also write for Fantasy Book Review (.co.uk), and can be found writing articles for a variety of other sites. Check me out at about.me for more.

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