Aberdeen Heat and Power has become the first British company to win a Global District Energy Climate Award.

The company, which was established by Aberdeen City Council in 2002, was awarded the Global District Energy Award of Excellence for Small and Medium Companies.

A panel of energy experts from across the world recognised the significant achievements made by the company, which has taken hundreds of people out of fuel poverty and significantly cut the city's carbon emissions.

Aberdeen Heat and Power has been bringing low-carbon, affordable warmth to the residents and businesses of Aberdeen, including council tenants and private householders in multi-storey flats, sheltered housing complexes and public buildings, for the past 11 years. It has been used as a case study by the WWF.

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Michael King, a member of the Aberdeen Heat and Power board, and Council Leader Councillor Barney Crockett accepted the award during the District Energy Climate Summit in New York.

General manager Ian Booth said: "Aberdeen Heat and Power works closely with Aberdeen City Council and is absolutely delighted to have won this award. It has won other significant awards in the past but this is the biggest and it's a real honour to receive such recognition for the district heating scheme."

Mr King added: "The provision of heat through district heating has, to date, not been the traditional approach in Scotland and the wider UK. So we are honoured that Aberdeen Heat and Power has been recognised alongside projects from other countries where it is well established.

"We believe this award validates our efforts over the past decade and hope that it will inspire other towns and cities to follow our example in securing low-carbon, affordable warmth for their residents, businesses and institutions."

(JP/CD)