The Scottish Government is to invest £5.3 million to turn a former Kilmarnock bottling plant into a low carbon development, which will include hundreds of affordable homes.
Around £3.5 million will be invested in the former Johnnie Walker bottling plant. The site will include an enterprise and innovation hub for business startups, a renewable energy centre and commercial and leisure units.
The Scottish Government investment includes £1.8 million from the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme for a new geothermal heating system that will provide low cost, renewable energy for the new homes.
Hannah Smith of Scottish Renewables said Geothermal energy has exciting potential in Scotland and could play a role in meeting its renewable heat targets, but only a handful of legacy projects exist today.
“The funding provided here through the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme should enable the demonstration of the technology at scale and could serve as a launchpad for an
industry able to tap the heat resource which lies beneath our feet.”
