The Scottish Salmon Company (SSC) has been crowned winner of the Community Initiative award at the 2020 Aquaculture Awards for its work with the Outer Hebrides Local Energy Hub (OHLEH) project.

Created to encourage collaborative solutions to waste management and energy challenges, the OHLEH project is a unique initiative and the first of its kind in Scotland. The initiative focuses on the creation of a local circular economy and is delivered by SSC in partnership with Pure Energy Centre (PEC), Community Energy Scotland and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (CnES) and funded by the Scottish Government Local Energy Challenge Fund.

The project involves the transfer of fish waste from SSC’s processing plant on the Isle of Lewis, which is integrated with other local household and garden waste in an anaerobic digester, based at the CnES Household Waste and Recycling Centre at Creed, and broken down to produce biogas. The biogas fuels a Combined Heat and Power Plant with some of the electricity generated used to drive an electrolyser supplied by the PEC, which in turn produces green hydrogen and green oxygen for use at SSC’s hatchery as well as providing fuel for CnES’s hydrogen powered bin lorry.

The Aquaculture Awards recognise excellence in worldwide aquaculture, celebrating innovation, talent and cutting-edge advances in technology. Highlighting achievements in the sector, the awards are judged by a panel of experts from across the industry. Due to ongoing coronavirus restrictions there was no physical ceremony this year, with winners were announced on Wednesday [16 September] during a virtual ceremony.

Su Cox, Director at The Scottish Salmon Company, said: “We are really honoured to have won the Community Initiative title at this year’s Aquaculture Awards. This win not only recognises the dedication and innovation of the OHLEH project partners but also showcases an excellent example of how businesses can work together to achieve greater sustainability.”

Cheri Arvonio, Event Director at the Aquaculture Awards, said: “Standing out from the crowd is no mean feat in such an innovative and dedicated industry, but our 2020 winners do just that. Big thanks must go to our judges and sponsors for their continued support.  And congratulations again to each of our fantastic winners – you really are the very best in the business.”

The Aquaculture Awards can be watched in full here: https://youtu.be/Qqhp-ox686A

For more information on The Scottish Salmon Company, visit: www.scottishsalmon.com