Energy Transition Initiative of the Year: Projects and Systems

For initiatives that advance the shift to clean energy systems, including grid upgrades, electrification, heat networks and integrated energy planning.

The finalists

Fife College & SGN

Hydrogen Pioneers: Creating the UK’s First Hydrogen Skills Pathway for Net Zero

Fife College and SGN have established a hydrogen training and assessment centre for Gas Safe registered engineers, created to supply the workforce needed for H100 Fife, a green hydrogen network supplying homes with hydrogen for heating and cooking. Rather than waiting for standards to be finalised, the partners worked with DESNZ, the Health and Safety Executive, Gas Safe Register, IGEM, BPEC and Energy & Utility Skills to build a qualification aligned to the Government's Hy4Heat training specification. Manufacturers including Baxi and Worcester Bosch helped design the practical learning environment. More than 100 engineers, managers and technical specialists have been trained.

Lidl GB

Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind PPA

Lidl GB has signed a corporate power purchase agreement securing 100GWh of electricity a year from the Gwynt y Môr offshore wind farm off the North Wales coast, moving beyond green tariff certificates to a direct contract with a generator. The agreement, developed over 27 months by an in-house energy team and signed in April 2025, was folded into the retailer's 2023 electricity supply tender so conventional suppliers had to compete with direct renewable generation. The volume exceeds the 88.5GWh consumed annually by Lidl's 13 regional distribution centres and covers over 15% of national electricity use, avoiding 17.7 million kg of CO2e a year.

Nadara

UK Repowering Campaign

Nadara ran a three-month communications campaign, with FTI Consulting and Akt Creative, to raise the profile of onshore wind repowering – replacing ageing turbines with more productive modern machines on existing sites. The company argues repowering is widely misunderstood as a simple life extension rather than a means of substantially increasing output from land already connected to the grid. On a budget under £60,000, the campaign produced messaging, video, opinion pieces, infographics and a microsite. It filled a 250-capacity conference session, generated coverage in trade titles, and led to Nadara giving evidence to the Scottish Affairs Committee.

Preston City Council

Crematoria Decarbonisation

Preston City Council, working with the North West Net Zero Hub, has produced a business case for replacing the gas cremators at its crematorium with electric equipment. The facility accounts for around 6% of the council's direct CO2 emissions, and its existing cremators require replacement by 2030/31. The study assessed technology options, grid constraints, whole-life costs, supplier maturity and service continuity, alongside solar, an air source heat pump and LED upgrades, with installation targeted by 2031. Full electrification is forecast to cut energy use by over 80% and emissions by around 95%. Technical outputs have been shared with all Net Zero Hubs.

RAW Charging

Landsec: The UK's Largest Leisure & Retail EV Charging Rollout

RAW Charging is installing electric vehicle chargers across Landsec's retail and leisure destinations under a £24.5m, 20-year agreement covering 28 sites and 1,000 bays. The rationale is that around 40% of UK households have no private parking, so charging must be available where people already spend time. RAW handles planning, grid connection, installation and maintenance, replacing outdated units with chargers matched to typical dwell times of 30 to 90 minutes, each on a new grid connection supplied with renewable electricity. Over 150 bays are live across five sites, including 32 bays at Cardigan Fields in Leeds and 16 ultra-rapid bays in Chesterfield.

SP Energy Networks

Rewiring Britain: Upgrading the Grid for a New Energy Future

SP Energy Networks' RIIO-T3 business plan covers transmission investment in central and southern Scotland from 2026 to 2031, the region linking Scottish renewable generation to demand across Great Britain. The £12bn programme includes 12 new substations and more than 570km of new or upgraded transmission lines across a network of around 4,300km. The company states the plan will enable around 19GW of new connections and avoid approximately £4.9bn in constraint costs by 2030. Ofgem awarded it the highest score among RIIO-3 transmission submissions and has funded two projects, while construction is under way on the EGL1 subsea link.

SP Energy Networks

Site Welfare Energy Supplies

SP Energy Networks examined how temporary welfare cabins – the offices, canteens, toilets and drying rooms that support construction crews – are powered on its projects, an area that had traditionally defaulted to diesel generation. Rather than modelling alternatives, SP Transmission trialled different supply options on live sites, so findings reflected real operating conditions. The trial indicated that lower-carbon options can reduce both emissions and running costs while meeting site requirements. The evidence was used to create a company-wide hierarchy policy for selecting welfare power, and sustainability requirements were written into tender documents so suppliers must demonstrate how they will minimise emissions.