Also in the news / Stuart Cup goes to Orkney, electric turnarounds and more…
ORKNEY took home the Stuart Cup in this weekend’s junior inter-county competition held in Shetland.
It was a close call in the end, with Orkney racking up 159 points and Shetland totalling 155.5.
Shetland won the hockey, football and swimming events but lost in athletics and netball.
The local junior inter-county association said “well done to all competitors, coaches, officials, committee for both Orkney and Shetland”.
LOGANAIR is planning to introduce all-electric turnaround of aircrafts at Sumburgh Airport as part of a wider project in the Highlands and Islands.
The first all-electric turnaround recently took place at Stornoway Airport in the Outer Hebrides following Loganair’s £2 million investment in ground handling technology.
The turnaround of an aircraft includes a range of tasks to prepare a flight for departing after it has landed, such as disembarking and boarding passengers, loading, and unloading luggage or cargo, cleaning, catering, and refuelling.
The airline is acquiring almost 100 new pieces of ground equipment across its operation including electric baggage tractors, electric luggage belts, solar-powered boarding ramps and hybrid ground power units (GPUs).
GPUs provide power to aircraft while they are parked at the gate, allowing crews to switch off their engines and reduce fuel consumption.
Once fully incorporated across Loganair’s ground operations in the Highlands and Islands, the new equipment will mitigate the need for over 70,000 litres of diesel annually.
Loganair chief operations officer Maurice Boyle said: “We are incredibly proud of this historic moment in Loganair’s operations and the contribution it will make to our GreenSkies pledge to become carbon neutral by 2040.”
NEW figures on mussel production in Scotland has highlighted Shetland’s continued strength in the sector.
Seafood Shetland chief executive Ruth Henderson said the isles produced 7,164 tonnes in 2022, and had 2,431 tonnes on growing.
“We remain the highest producing region is Scotland, accounting for 79 per cent of the overall total,” she said.
“Employment in the industry remains steady, with 94 people in Shetland in full, part time or casual employment.
“The production figures reflect the continued demand for a premium quality, highly nutritious, and environmentally sustainable source of protein.
“This is good news, particularly in the current economic climate, when our producers, their customers, and consumers are facing unprecedented costs for energy, goods and services.”
SCOTTISH Water is urging people to stay safe, behave responsibly and not take risks around watercourses such as lochs this summer.
The latest figures from the National Water Safety Forum (NWSF) show that, in 2022, a total of 226 people lost their lives to accidental drowning in the UK, including 45 in Scotland.
Peter Farrer, Scottish Water’s chief operating officer, said: “While people should enjoy any good weather we have and take pleasure around the country’s beautiful lochs, reservoirs and rivers, it’s absolutely vital they stay safe at all times and behave responsibly.”
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