His Majesty The King has officially opened ETZ EnergyWorks at Aberdeen's Energy Transition Zone, marking the launch of what is described as the UK's first dedicated low-carbon energy incubator and scale-up hub.

Established by ETZ Ltd alongside founding partners bp and Scottish Enterprise, and supported by both the UK and Scottish Governments, the £10 million, 3,000 square metre facility has been delivered in partnership with the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) and the Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC). The state-of-the-art hub blends industrial and workshop units with co-working, collaboration and meeting spaces to help early-stage firms develop and grow.

During a tour of the building, His Majesty met representatives of the first cohort of tenant companies, each advancing innovative low-carbon technologies and drawing on ETZ EnergyWorks' mix of growth support and manufacturing expertise to scale their solutions.

Following a formal welcome from ETZ Ltd Chair Trevor Garlick, The King unveiled a commemorative plaque crafted by Aberdeenshire firm Highland Heritage Woodworks from surplus building materials. The facility was built with sustainability in mind and aligns with the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standard 2030 benchmarks.

The scale-up hub is the third major project to go live within the Zone, following the world's first National Floating Wind Innovation Centre operated by ORE-Catapult and Scotland's largest dedicated Energy Transition Skills Hub, run by North East Scotland College (NESCol).

Located beside the newly completed £420 million deep-water, non-tidal Aberdeen South Harbour, the Zone is evolving into a dynamic all-energy ecosystem and an increasingly attractive European location for investment in low-carbon technologies.

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ETZ Ltd Chair, Trevor Garlick, said: "It was an honour to welcome His Majesty The King to mark the formal opening of ETZ EnergyWorks, a significant and hugely positive milestone for our company and North East Scotland's energy transition ambition more broadly.

"We are very grateful for the time His Majesty spent meeting with this remarkable facility's first tenants, all of whom embody the entrepreneurial and pioneering determination that has underpinned Aberdeen's global energy success story over the last fifty years.

"This regions' world-class supply chain is our greatest strength: a source of innovation, skills, exports and long-term economic opportunity. The entire concept behind the creation of ETZ EnergyWorks is to build on that platform of success and give the next generation of early stage, entrepreneurial businesses access to a unique blend of growth support and manufacturing expertise, so they can grow, scale and prosper."

Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: "Aberdeen has been at the heart of Britain's energy story for more than half a century and now has the expertise and supply chains that are invaluable to the energy transition.

"The UK Government has backed the EnergyWorks hub to build on this legacy, supporting the next generation of innovators to power Britain for generations to come."

Adrian Gillespie, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise, said: "As a founding partner of EnergyWorks, Scottish Enterprise is proud to support a significant addition to Scotland's energy transition infrastructure. The facility will help ambitious companies test, develop and commercialise new technologies, creating jobs, attracting investment and strengthening Scotland's clean energy supply chain.

"Together with wider investment across the Energy Transition Zone, it further enhances Aberdeen's reputation as a globally recognised centre for low-carbon energy and innovation"

Gerry Agnew, co-founder of aviation clean tech start-up Hypanode and an EnergyWorks tenant, said: "It was a real privilege to show His Majesty what we are working on and explain why we have chosen Aberdeen as the place to grow Hypanode.

"We are developing a new power system for aviation, and the depth of engineering expertise here was a big part of our decision to base ourselves in the North East. EnergyWorks gives us the right environment to take forward our recently announced £9m ARIA-backed project, moving the technology towards real-world demonstration and, ultimately, commercial scale.

During the visit, His Majesty was introduced to Innovair's Andrew Johnston (advanced inspection robotics for the energy sector), Hypanode's Gerry Agnew (innovative green aviation power system), CenterSet's Tristam Horn (well construction technologies for carbon capture and storage), and SubWorx's Daniel Merrington (underwater engineering consultancy and Diving Technical Authority services).

ETZ Ltd is a not-for-profit organisation backed by significant private sector support, the Wood Foundation, and government funding from Scotland (£26 million) and the UK (£27 million). Since its inception four years ago, ETZ Ltd's activities have unlocked £80 million of investment, delivered targeted supply-chain support across the region, and advanced the phased development of the Energy Transition Zone adjacent to Aberdeen South Harbour, with flagship projects in floating offshore wind, innovation and skills.