Separately, Maraen has announced plans to invest £30 million in Port of Nigg, to enhance port capacity and operational capability, supporting inbound and outbound logistics for offshore wind and wider energy sector projects.
of investment at one of the UK’s leading deepwater ports have been approved, as three industry-leading North-east Scotland energy businesses unite under a new brand – Maraen is an energy infrastructure solutions provider, bringing together the capabilities of Port of Nigg, Global Energy (Group) and Global Energy Services. The businesses will now be rebranded as Maraen Port of Nigg, Maraen Fabrication and Maraen Solutions, respectively.
The rebrand follows the acquisition of the businesses by Mitsui & Co. Europe Ltd. and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd. in 2025. As part of this commitment, a final investment decision (FID) has been taken to develop a new heavy-duty quay and roll-on/roll-off capability at Maraen Port of Nigg.
RenewableUK’s Deputy Chief Executive Jane Cooper said the announcement “highlights the scale of the opportunity for the UK to expand our offshore wind supply chain, driving the regeneration of ports and establishing them as leading centres of clean energy excellence.”
She added, “This Green Freeport is already an offshore wind hub, and the new quay will improve Sumitomo Electric’s capability to provide high-voltage cables for offshore wind farms at scale from its factory on the same site. Upscaling the port will attract further private investment from other supply chain companies, with businesses operating side by side to provide components and services for the clean energy sector and create high-quality local jobs”.

Ray Valley was set up by Low Carbon Hub in 2022. But on very sunny days, the park produces more electricity than the local grid can use, and also export prices are usually higher out of solar energy peak hours. Installing a battery means more of the clean energy will get used and the park will earn more money.
Now members of the public and organisations can buy community shares in the planned battery via investing platform Ethex.
Dr Barbara Hammond MBE, CEO, Low Carbon Hub says: “Solar energy used to be heavily dependent on the time the sun was out, but adding battery storage makes the clean power more reliable and consistent day and night.”

Ian Cooper, Head of Product and Strategic Sales, EA Technology:
“Pushing for solar panels and heat pumps without grid investment in tandem is short sighted. Grid-edge technologies can minimise this investment and keep bills as low as possible for customers.
“The drive for distributed energy resources (DERs) like heat pumps and solar energy has never been more important in the path to net zero and, indeed, energy sovereignty.
“However, the grid was never designed for a ‘prosumer’ who fed energy back into the system. Grid-edge technologies like modelling and monitoring for low voltage energy demand at the ‘grid-edge’ helps distribution network operators proactively forecast energy needs, an essential part of the rapid ‘electrification’ of consumer energy use.”

Nigel Banks, Zero Bills Director, Octopus Energy:
“We welcome the government’s Future Homes Standard as a huge step towards greener, cheaper living and a future less reliant on fossil fuels. Heat pumps and solar panels slash bills – so it makes sense to build them into new homes from day one. And with a battery added to the mix, some homes could even pay nothing at all for their home energy. ”

Neal Herbert, Managing Director, GTC:
“GTC welcomes the publication of the UK Government’s Future Homes Standard, which sets a clear direction of travel towards low-carbon heating and signals the end of fossil fuel heating in new homes.
“We have been planning for this moment for many years. The decarbonisation of heat has long been on the political agenda, which is why we proactively designed and delivered not one but two scalable renewable heat network solutions for our housebuilder partners.
“Our Community Heat Hubs and networked ground source heat pump systems directly align with the core technologies outlined in the Standard, combining efficiency, flexibility and long-term sustainability.
“Crucially, this is not theoretical. Over the past two years, we have been working with housebuilders across the UK to deploy these solutions at pace and at scale. Thousands of homes are already benefiting from our low-carbon, reliable and cost-effective heating and hot water, demonstrating that the transition is not only possible, but practical today.
“While the Future Homes Standard represents a major step forward, we recognise it will also present real challenges for housebuilders as they adapt to new requirements, supply chains and delivery models. The key now is moving from policy to delivery – quickly, confidently and without disruption.
“At GTC, we are already doing exactly that. Our customers are already specifying Future Homes Standard-compliant solutions, we are already installing them, and homeowners are already experiencing the benefits. And they have been for years. No delay. No uncertainty. The future of home heating is already here.”

Christopher Hammond, chief executive, UK100:
“One of the very first things you do to solve a problem is to stop making it worse. Thankfully, that is exactly what the government has done with the publication of these new standards. New build housing can finally be built with affordable energy running costs for the lifetime of the property — and in an uncertain world, that energy security matters more than ever.
“But let’s be honest: 2028 is later than it should be. Every year of delay is another year of homes built to standards we’ll regret. UK100 and our local authority members have long argued that locking in common sense standards and future-proof technology is what consumers and communities want. This is a vindication of that. A ten-year policy gap has finally been filled. Now we need the government to hold the line.”

Visiting Professor Mike Leonard, Centre for Future Homes, Birmingham City University:
“We welcome the announcement of the Future Homes Standard, which clearly reflects the evidence provided to the Government by the Centre for Future Homes,” he said.
“This includes Project 80 with Midland Heart and Gelding Green with Keepmoat—both ground breaking developments built to the Future Homes Standard.
“These projects have generated valuable data and insights, helping policymakers better understand the design, construction, commissioning, handover, and lived experience of Future Homes Standard properties.
“The decision to delay implementation until 2028 acknowledges the current affordability gap in the housing market and allows more time to build capacity for the manufacture, installation, and maintenance of new technologies, including heat pumps and solar PV.
“Our research also confirms the vital role of home occupiers, who will need support to understand how to operate Future Homes Standard homes effectively if we are to achieve positive outcomes and avoid unintended consequences.”

Mohamed Gaafar, chief executive, Gryd Energy:
“This is a landmark moment that will redefine the role of homes in the UK’s energy system.
“Solar on the vast majority of new homes is a no-brainer – it will give households real control over their bills and reduce their exposure to volatile global energy markets, something recent events have made impossible to ignore.
“But the real measure of success will be how developers respond: whether systems are sized to meet a home’s true energy demand, not just to satisfy minimum compliance. If the Future Homes Standard is treated as a ceiling rather than a floor, households will miss out on much of the economic benefit – and the government’s ambition for these homes to never need retrofitting may not be realised.
“It’s also a missed opportunity not to mandate battery storage. Costs have fallen dramatically in recent years – the technology is now affordable, proven, and essential to unlocking the full value of rooftop solar. Even so, the Future Homes Standard should significantly accelerate the UK’s shift towards a more decentralised, resilient energy system. The industry must now step up and deliver.”

Jess Ralston, Head of Energy, Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) :
“Finally some good news for new build owners! Housebuilders have spent years pushing back against standards to stop homes wasting so much energy and at a time of another gas price crisis this takes on a whole new perspective. Had homes been built more efficiently in the past decade, the UK would not be so dependent on foreign gas imports and not as vulnerable to gas price spikes. The delay in standards is an energy security and therefore a national security issue.
“Now families will be able to move into a new build knowing it’ll be cheaper to run. The public generally can’t understand why putting solar on roofs of new houses hasn’t been made standard before. In the US, at the time of the last gas crisis they called heat pumps ‘freedom pumps’ as they helped homes to shift away from gas dependence, which in the UK for homes with a gas boiler will increasingly come from abroad as UK gas output inevitably declines.”

BETA said its ALIA CTOL is an all-electric conventional takeoff and landing aircraft designed for regional cargo and passenger operations. It requires no new airport infrastructure, operates from existing runways, and recharges in approximately 20-40 minutes using BETA’s fast-charging system. It has a demonstrated range of 336 nautical miles and a payload capacity of up to 560kg.
In 2024 Royal Mail announced it was halving its use of domestic flights as part of its Net-Zero by 2040 strategy, keeping only essential routes. Electrifying some of the remaining mail flights would reduce emissions, along with using 8,000 electric vans and using drones to connect island communities.
The demonstration series is designed to show how electric aircraft could integrate into Royal Mail’s existing network without disruption, using the same airports.
Simon Newitt, Head of Sales and Support at BETA Technologies, said: “Scotland’s geography makes it one of the most compelling environments for electric aviation anywhere in the world — short routes, existing infrastructure, and communities that have depended on reliable air connections for generations.”
Luke Farajallah, CEO at Loganair, said: “This is a landmark day for European aviation, and in-particular for Scotland’s airline Loganair. We are not talking about concepts, prototypes, or distant ambition, this is a real tangible programme of flying across our network which will provide invaluable data on how an electric aircraft could perform in a real commercial environment.”
Sophie O’Sullivan, Director of Future Safety & Innovation at the UK Civil Aviation Authority said: “Electric aircraft offer the possibility of cleaner, quieter flights, with improved connectivity and greater reliability. The UK Civil Aviation Authority have granted permission for Loganair and Beta to demonstrate their electric aircraft across Loganair’s commercial network.
“As electric aerospace technology advances, trials like this contribute to our work to establish the regulatory framework for advanced air mobility, helping us enable this new technology to develop safely.”