Three second year HND Industrial Biotechnology students from Forth Valley College attended the recent NECCUS Decarb Scotland 2026 event, held at the John McIntyre Centre in Edinburgh.
Supported by the College’s new Skills Transition Centre and free student tickets from NECCUS, Adam Martin (20) from East Lothian, Lewis Ollier (23) and Alistair Davidson (19) both from Falkirk, were accompanied on the trip on Thursday 19 February by Colin McMorrin, FVC’s Curriculum Manager, Process, Measurement & Control, Chemical in the Department of STEM and Construction.
The students - who will all progress to the BSc (Hons) Brewing & Distilling programme at Heriot-Watt University after completion of their course – and Colin are pictured here in the FVC Distillation Plant (which was not operating at the time) as this is where they are currently working on their Graded Unit project.
The conference brought together government, regulators and industry to discuss how Scotland’s industrial sectors will transition to net zero. A consistent message across the sessions was that the transition will rely largely on retraining the existing workforce rather than creating entirely new job roles, with colleges, amongst other providers, playing a key role in delivering targeted upskilling and conversion training.
An address from the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy, Gillian Martin MSP, kicked off the conference, and she also presented awards for impactful and innovative professionals new to the sector, the YPA sponsored by the Energy Transition Zone.
Colin McMorrin, FVC Curriculum Manager, Process, Measurement & Control, Chemical in the Department of STEM and Construction, said: “Several presentations focused on the development and futures of UK and Norway’s industrial clusters and were particularly relevant to the future of Falkirk and Grangemouth area. Speakers outlined how Grangemouth is expected to evolve from a traditional petrochemical complex into a diversified low-carbon manufacturing hub, supported by projects such as Project Willow. Planned developments include carbon capture and storage infrastructure, hydrogen use, biotechnology manufacturing and chemical recycling. These projects aim to retain skilled employment in the region while attracting new industries and investment.
“Industry representatives also emphasised the importance of repurposing existing infrastructure rather than replacing it, meaning future technicians will need to operate modified plants using new fuels such as hydrogen and CO₂. The long-term operation and monitoring of these facilities will create sustained demand for multidisciplinary technical skills aligned closely with the programmes delivered at Forth Valley College.
“Of particular interest to Adam, Lewis and Alistair was the presentation from Craig Stewart of Logan Energy, based in Edinburgh, which explored how hydrogen boilers could support Scottish distilleries in reducing emissions and progressing towards net zero targets. The application of hydrogen heat within brewing and distilling processes demonstrated a clear link between their studies and real industrial decarbonisation challenges.
“Attendance at the conference highlighted opportunities for Forth Valley College to continue aligning training with emerging industry needs and to support both local employers and students as the Falkirk and Grangemouth region transitions towards low-carbon industry.”
Adam, said: “I enjoyed attending the conference. It was exciting to learn about the new technology that we could be working with in the industry.”
Lewis, said: “The conference was a great opportunity to meet and network with professionals from the industry and chat with them about new processes and opportunities that are available.”
Alistair, said: “I also enjoyed attending the conference and I think we have all benefited from it. I think we might also have organised another site visit on the back of going along so we will all look forward to that.”
Laura Fraser, Skills Transition Centre Project Manager, said: “We are delighted that the Skills Transition Centre has been able to support Adam, Lewis, and Alistair in attending the NECCUS Decarbonisation Conference. The event provided an excellent opportunity for them to hear directly from key representatives across Government, industry, and regulatory bodies. Their participation has given them valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities of industrial decarbonisation, and highlighted the critical role that skills development will play in ensuring a just and effective transition.”
Mark Hughes from NECCUS, said: “NECCUS (Decarb Scotland) were delighted to welcome Adam, Lewis and Alistair to our Annual Conference as they represent the future of Scotland’s low-carbon workforce. Their enthusiasm, technical skills and willingness to engage with real-world decarbonisation challenges are essential to delivering a successful industrial transition. By connecting students with industry at an early stage, we help build the talent pipeline that will drive innovation, investment and sustainable growth across Scotland’s industrial sectors. Our strong relationship with Forth Valley College will continue to provide opportunities for young people to make a significant contribution to Scotland's decarbonisation efforts.”
For more information on this course visit: https://www.forthvalley.ac.uk/courses/degrees/bsc-hons-brewing-distilling-heriot-watt-university
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