A new £10 million fund has been unveiled to help develop local energy projects in rural areas.

Grants of up to £100,000 are available from the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP) initiative for projects which could potentially increase energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and boost local economies.

The LCITP, which supports the costs of developing investment-ready business cases, targets rural and remote areas in order to help bridge gaps in capacity, skills and resources.

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Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse said: "Our recently published draft Energy Strategy sets out our vision for 2050 for Scotland to have a modern, integrated energy system that delivers reliable, low carbon energy at affordable prices to consumers in all parts of Scotland.

"The low carbon and renewable energy sector has been a major driver of Scotland's economy in recent years, supporting 43,500 jobs. Many of these are in rural areas, where we have developed expertise in solar, wave, offshore wind and tidal, as well as more established technologies such as hydro and onshore wind.

"We can be proud of our innovative culture and this fund will help continue to build the right environment to develop more new ideas, supporting rural communities across Scotland with investment and the creation of further high-value jobs."

(LM/JP)