News round-up / Voxter House repair appeal, SIC involved in hydrogen study, medivac, salmon exports down, MP backs electoral reform
THE CHARITY which runs the Voxter Outdoor Centre near Brae has launched a funding appeal aimed at providing some “TLC” for the building.
The centre needs extensive refurbishment to ensure its future viability, with a target set at £60,000.
While people can donate online, businesses are also being encouraged to offer funding, goods or services.
More information can be found on the Voxter House website.
SHETLAND Islands Council is a partner in a collaborative research project studying the potential for marine vessel hydrogen transportation and storage in Scotland.
The study will look at the prospect of Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHC) transporting hydrogen.
It is being led by the he Oil & Gas Technology Centre (OGTC), which is the council’s partner in the proposed Orion ‘energy hub’ project for Shetland.
The OTGC said it is “committed to developing and deploying technologies to enable an affordable net zero North Sea and this project is an important step to advance knowledge of hydrogen transportation and storage technologies needed to enable a Scottish hydrogen economy to develop”.
THE COASTGUARD search and rescue helicopter airlifted an injured oil worker from an installation 100 miles northeast of Shetland this afternoon.
The man was taken to the emergency landing site at Clickimin and was transferred to the Gilbert Bain Hospital.
THE COVID pandemic has had an impact on Scottish salmon export figures, new statistics show.
Exports of the salmon fell by 23 per cent in 2020 to 72,155 tonnes.
Sales to further away markets like China and the US were down, but exports to the EU became more popular.
Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation chief Tavish Scott said: “The last year has been a bruising time for the Scottish salmon sector, as these new figures show.
“Our producers have battled really hard to get salmon to their customers around the world, against really strong head winds.
“It is to their credit that they have managed to get so much salmon to their global customers and the switch to EU trade was a good way of offsetting the difficulties experienced elsewhere.”
NORTHERN Isles MP Alistair Carmichael has lent his support to a fresh effort to reform “undemocratic” voting laws in the UK.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Electoral Reform is chaired by Alex Sobel MP (Labour) and backed by the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) and Make Votes Matter (MVM).
It will work towards a more proportional voting system for all UK elections, while pushing for other reforms to boost democracy at Westminster.
Carmichael said: “The Liberal Democrats are proud to support political reform but this cannot be viewed from a party-political lens.
“All parties should have an interest in discussing ways we can make a more representative democracy that works for everyone and so the formation of the All-Party group is a positive step in that direction.
“I hope that we can build on this momentum in the coming months and years.”
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