Results
- Strong stakeholder relations in the community and at a national level.
- Eligibility for the Renewables Obligation scheme, the main support scheme for renewable power projects in the UK.
- Workable local implementation of major legislative and regulatory changes
- Extensive, positive coverage around the decision for a major upgrade of the power station, securing the future of the plant for generations in the Highlands and a higher local profile within the community.
Challenge
The global mining giant Rio Tinto Alcan operates an aluminium smelter in the Scottish Highlands and is the 4th largest landowner in Scotland, The smelter is almost entirely powered by hydro-electricity supplied by its two local hydro stations. The company has been impacted on greatly by energy and environment reform and water legislation and policy in Scotland. The company has sought to play a part and influence both the legislation and local affairs to inform and educate about its operations and the contribution it makes to the local and Scottish economy. It also wanted to establish its responsible land management credentials at the same time as ensuring that its operations were not adversely affected.
Solution
Over the past ten years the FH team has provided strategic communications advice to the company. This has covered counsel on positioning the company’s environmental track record in Scotland, boosting awareness amongst key stakeholder groups of the company’s commitment to Scotland and helping them achieve eligibility for the Renewables Obligation scheme. The team also provided legislative support on two Water Acts and the Land Reform Act, helping the company achieve in principle agreements on how implementation would work in practice. We have advised the company on the sensitive handling of the announcement of a number of difficult plant closures across Scotland over the years,
