Link Group awarded funding for low carbon infrastructure project
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A new build social housing development in the Highlands by Link Group is one of eight infrastructure projects that are to share £8.7 million of Scottish Government investment to deliver carbon-cutting projects across the country.
The project has been awarded £812,013 to install new air source heat pumps and energy efficiency measures for the new homes.
A Link spokesperson told Scottish Housing News: “Link is delighted to have been awarded LCITP grant funding to assist in the provision of Air Source Heat Pumps to promote sustainable, energy efficient heating in our affordable homes at Upper Achintore in Fort William.
“The site is off grid so conventional gas heating was never an option and a suitable affordable energy efficient solution had to be found for the 82 homes.
“The funding award from LCITP was crucial in allowing this project to progress whilst meeting Link and Scottish Government aspirations and policy to develop low carbon energy efficient homes.”
Funded through the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme, the eight projects will together cut carbon emissions by around 4,500 tonnes of CO2e a year – the equivalent to taking 2,000 cars off the road.
With project partners providing match funding, the total investment being provided is £24.4m.
This round of LCITP funding was designed to support Scotland’s Green Recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, supporting jobs while tackling climate change.
A list of projects to be awarded funding:
| Lead project partner | Local Authority area | Grant offered | Project Description |
| Renfrewshire Council | Renfrewshire | £2,887,660 | District heat network using heat from a Waste Water Treatment Works with an ambient loop to provide heat to the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland. |
| Edinburgh Airport | City of Edinburgh | £2,167,000 | Integrated Energy system using 9.9MW of solar PV for battery storage to supply energy and EV charging stations |
| SWG3 | Glasgow City | £170,000 | Air and Ground Source Heat Pumps to provide heating and cooling to the SWG3 Arts Centre, utilising heat recovered from cooling event spaces |
| North Fish | Shetland Islands | £887,253 | Wind Turbine being used to generate heat to a number of industrial buildings. |
| Glasgow City Council | Glasgow City | £329,313 | ASHPs to be installed in new build Children’s Nurseries |
| Trees for Life | Highland | £240,360 | ASHP, Batteries and Solar PV for the new Trees for Life Dundreggan Rewilding educational centre. |
| Link Group | Highland | £812,013 | Air Source Heat Pumps and Energy Efficiency for new build Social Housing |
| Scottish Power Energy Networks | East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire and Highland | £1,270,000 | Innovative Heat Pump project installing heat pumps, thermal storage and batteries and assessing impact of electrification on electricity grid. |
Since 2015, over £60m has been committed through the LCITP, which is now drawing to a close. A successor to the programme, which will focus on helping deliver Scotland’s Heat in Buildings vision, will be announced by this spring.
Zero carbon buildings minister Patrick Harvie said: “Meeting our ambitious climate targets will require rapid reduction in carbon emissions across our homes and buildings. “So I am pleased to announce funding for these eight impressive projects, each of which demonstrates how, working together, we can ensure our homes and buildings are climate-friendly and bring benefits to communities and local economies across the country.
“We are continuing to engage with other exciting projects regarding funding opportunities, and will soon announce plans for a successor to the LCITP which will provide significant investment in large-scale heat projects and heat networks.”
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