September 2026
UHI North, West, and Hebrides College recently brought together international technical experts, to include their British Council Going Global Partnership Programme, International Skills Partnership colleagues from Thekweni Technical College, Durban, in South Africa, to explore how storing locally generated renewable energy could deliver greater benefits for communities.
Sponsored by Point and Sandwick Trust, the conference explored how communities can use energy storage to maximise the value of renewable electricity they generate, with a particular focus on the role of battery systems, hydrogen technologies and renewable energy integration in supporting resilient, community-scale renewable energy projects, and future opportunities for local energy.
UHI explained the conference comes at a time when communities are increasingly looking at how renewable energy can deliver local benefits, against a backdrop of growing concerns over energy security and the risk of shortages.
UHI North, West and Hebrides’ international collaboration with Thekwini TVET College including work towards a new hydrogen course, provided an example of how international partnerships can support development of the skills required for emerging hydrogen economies.
Being an international conference, it enabled insights, effective practice, and thought leadership to be shared from the UK, across Europe and South Africa. Consequently, the conference was live-streamed and deservedly was raised by Donald MacKinnon MSP in Scottish Parliament in a recent debate on Scotland’s Energy Future. Watch the relevant section of the debate here.
Follow the links below to read more.