Plans to bring mains gas to several Moray communities are making ‘step-by-step’ progress through a taskforce set up to study the expansion of a new pipeline.
Speyside residents and businesses contacted local politicians last year as the completion of a new gas pipeline serving local distilleries approached, seeking information on the possibility of that being expanded to server local homes and business premises.
That resulted in a task force being formed at the request of Moray’s MP and MSP, with representatives from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) joining representatives from Fulcrum Pipelines and distillery owners.
Fulcrum were responsible for laying a new pipeline along the A95, B9008 and B9136 to provide a source of natural gas energy for use by distilleries at Tormore, Glenlivet, Cragganmore and Tomintoul.
Now the task force is set to meet again today to discuss progress with Richard Lochhead MSP welcoming further progress by HIE. He said: “It is obvious that the expansion of mains gas into Speyside provides an opportunity that must be explored to try and get wider access in rural Speyside to the mains gas network.
“In subsequent meetings it is clear that the regulation and complexity of gas supply makes it critical that we get the good expert advice on how we could potentially achieve expansion of the gas supply.
“I welcome this latest step in trying to get gas to more homes and businesses in Speyside and the advice that we receive back will guide the actions of the Taskforce in trying to find a workable solution.
“I also commend the companies and organisations that have come together to form the task force and their commitment to maximising the opportunities that are there from the substantial investment by the whisky sector in particular.”