NESO’s transitional Regional Energy Strategic Plan (tRESP) is the first publication in the journey towards transforming and improving energy infrastructure at a local level, developing bespoke plans for Scotland, England and Wales.
This marks the first step in ensuring universal access to secure, affordable and sustainable energy, while aligning future energy needs with local priorities.
The plan will guide future network investments by electricity distribution network operators as they develop their business plans for the 2028–2033 price control period. It highlights where early, strategic network upgrades could help unlock and accelerate local projects. NESO will expand on this transitional plan as it takes on its full RESP responsibilities from late 2026.
The tRESP is made up of four components:
The tRESP can be accessed from the NESO website
Ensign is proud to share that Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer, Heriot-Watt University’s Deputy Principal for Global Sustainability and Co-Investigator of the Ensign project, has been awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the King’s New Year Honours List 2026.
This prestigious recognition celebrates Mercedes’ internationally respected leadership in energy and her outstanding contributions to low-energy technologies that reduce emissions while supporting sustainable economic growth. Her work has helped shape the global response to climate change and advance the transition to a low-carbon economy.
Since 2022, Mercedes has led Heriot-Watt’s sustainability strategy, embedding sustainability across teaching, research, and operations. She also plays a key role on the UN Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition (CEET), advising on practical engineering pathways to achieve net zero.
Ensign is delighted to congratulate Mercedes on this well-deserved honour and proud to have her expertise driving our mission forward.
Read more about Mercedes’ achievement on Heriot-Watt’s website – International energy leader honoured with OBE
We are delighted to announce that Dr. Spyros Foteinis has joined the Ensign team as a Research Associate (WP5) based at Heriot Watt University, bringing a wealth of expertise in environmental sustainability and climate change. Spyros is a Chartered Environmental Engineer (Technical Chamber of Greece) with nearly two decades of progressive experience spanning academia and industry.
His background includes significant contributions to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR), circular economy, and renewable energy systems. In industry, Spyros worked as a senior engineer in the water and renewable energy sector, where he played a key role in projects valued at over €100 million. In academia, he has collaborated on large consortium-based research projects and served as principal investigator and co-investigator on several initiatives. His research journey has taken him to leading institutions such as The University of Cyprus, The University of Edinburgh, The University of Southern California, and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (South Africa).
Since 2020, Spyros has been based at Heriot-Watt University, focusing on teaching and research into the environmental sustainability of engineering systems. His work includes exploring innovative CDR approaches such as ocean liming, coastal enhanced weathering, and electrochemical splitting of waste desalination brines for alkalinity generation.
At Ensign, Spyros will concentrate on examining the engineering and environmental aspects of thermal energy storage and identifying pathways to improve the sustainability of future electricity networks. This research underpins our mission to support decarbonisation and accelerate the transition to net-zero energy systems.
We are thrilled to have Spyros on board and look forward to the impact his expertise will bring to our project.
As we welcome 2026, we’re proud to reflect on a year of outstanding progress, collaboration and delivery across our programmes and partnerships.
Over the past year, progress against our original plan has been excellent, with milestones, objectives and deliverables being met in line with the project roadmap. Together, we have:
Achieved major delivery highlights, including
Collaboration at its best
Our entire team has worked extremely effectively, creating a positive environment that’s driving real impact. Engagement with our industry partners has been excellent and continues to provide valuable added insight, innovation and support.
Looking ahead to 2026
With a strong foundation and a shared commitment to quality and delivery, we’re excited to build on this progress in the year ahead. Together, we’ll continue pushing boundaries, strengthening partnerships and delivering meaningful outcomes for our clients and communities.
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and successful New Year.
Here’s to a brilliant 2026!
Ensign’s WP5 (Industrial Cluster Sub Digital Twin) colleagues have published a new Green Corridors whitepaper, co authored by Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer and Professor John Andresen from the Heriot Watt University, on how coordinated, place-based planning across energy infrastructure, demand and investment can accelerate low-carbon delivery.
The insights from the “Maritime Twin – Innovate UK Project: Green Shipping Corridors (GSCs) & Near Term Instruments for Decarbonising UK maritime Routes” whitepaper strongly align with Ensigns whole-system digital twin direction— linking networks, industrial clusters, flexibility and future demand to support better decisions across sectors.
As we approach the end of 2025, the ENSIGN project team would like to extend our warmest Christmas wishes to all our collaborators, partners, and supporters.
This year has been one of meaningful progress, impactful partnerships, and exciting research developments across our programme. We are incredibly grateful for the dedication of our project team, the contributions from our academic and industry partners, and the continued engagement from the wider community.
Thank you for your support throughout 2025. We look forward to building on this momentum in the year ahead, continuing to work together towards innovative, secure, and sustainable energy system solutions.
Wishing you a joyful Christmas and a happy, healthy New Year from everyone at ENSIGN.
Here’s to a successful and collaborative 2026!
— The ENSIGN Project Team
Professor Qiteng Hong, Co-Investigator of the ENSIGN project, has been awarded an Royal Society International Exchange Grant jointly funded by the Royal Society and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). The grant will support a new collaborative research programme with Professor Bin Wang of Tsinghua University, one of China’s leading experts in power systems operation and protection.
This exchange grant will enable Professors Hong and Wang to jointly address critical challenges in the operation and protection of future decarbonised distribution networks. The collaboration will be delivered through a structured programme of reciprocal visits and joint research activities over the next two years, including the exchange of early-career researchers and doctoral students, as well as workshops, seminars, and joint publications to enable future collaboration and disseminate findings to the wider scientific community and industry stakeholders.
The ENSIGN project is pleased to congratulate colleagues at Heriot-Watt University on their role in MaxStoreUK – Maximising the UK geological storage resource, a new EPSRC-funded project led by the British Geological Survey in collaboration with the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC) and The University of Manchester.
British Geological Survey – MaxStoreUK
MaxStoreUK will investigate the UK’s subsurface capacity for CO₂ and hydrogen storage, providing clear and tailored information on storage opportunities for industrial clusters to operators, regulators and policymakers. The project will build on previous IDRIC research to improve understanding of storage performance and risk, with a focus on supporting investment and policy decisions for low-carbon infrastructure.
This work closely complements ENSIGN’s ambition to develop an Integrated Energy System–Digital Twin (IES-DT) for future multi-vector energy systems. By coupling improved data and insights on subsurface storage with ENSIGN’s digital representations of electricity, heat and hydrogen networks, the combined research will help enable more robust, whole-system planning for net-zero industrial clusters.
Researchers within Work Package 5: Industrial Cluster Digital Twin, based at Heriot-Watt University, will support and coordinate the university’s contribution to MaxStoreUK, ensuring strong links between geological storage characterisation and ENSIGN’s industrial cluster models.
Together, ENSIGN and MaxStoreUK will provide decision-makers with better tools and evidence to design, test and deliver resilient, affordable and low-carbon energy and storage solutions for the UK’s industrial heartlands
SPEERI Annual Conference 2025: Catalysing Innovation Through Collaboration – Wednesday 26 November 2025
The Scottish Partnership in Energy and Engineering Research & Innovation (SPEERI) Annual Conference 2025 brings together academia, industry innovators, public sector partners, and government to explore the transformative power of collaboration in driving innovation.
Under the theme “Catalysing Innovation Through Collaboration”, this year’s conference highlights the critical role of cross-sector partnerships in addressing complex challenges across energy and engineering, accelerating the journey from research to real-world impact.
SPEERI represents the strategic integration of two of Scotland’s long-established collaborative partnerships—the Energy Technology Partnership (ETP) and the Scottish Research Partnership in Engineering (SRPe)—and comprises 14 Scottish universities working collaboratively with industry, public sector, and government to maximise impact in energy and engineering research and innovation.
What to Expect
Inspiring Keynotes: Professor Sir Jim McDonald GBE, Chair of SPEERI, and Richard Lochhead MSP, Minister for Business and Employment, Scottish Government.
Engaging Panels and Workshops: Explore successful collaborative research, share best practices, and forge meaningful partnerships.
Research Showcases and Exhibitions: Discover cutting-edge projects and innovations.
Ensign at SPEERI
Ensign’s Principal Investigator, Professor Campbell Booth, Co-Investigator Graeme Hawker, and Professor Mercedes Maroto-Valer are attending. Visit the Ensign stand to learn more about our project and how collaboration is shaping the future of energy and engineering.
Join us as we break down silos, connect across disciplines, and shape a future where collaboration drives change.
ENSIGN’s Principal Investigator, Professor Campbell Booth, and Co-Investigator, Professor Qiteng Hong, recently completed a research visit to China, reinforcing international partnerships in the transition to sustainable energy systems.
As core members of the organising committee, they played a leading role in the “Voice of the Future” Forum on System Thinking for Shared Sustainability, an event sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and jointly organised by the University of Strathclyde, Imperial College London, Peking University, and Tsinghua University.
The visit also included strategic meetings at Huairou National Laboratory, a national-level research centre dedicated to clean, low-carbon, and high-efficiency energy technologies. Discussions explored opportunities for future collaboration on cutting-edge energy research.
In addition, the team visited Peking University and Tsinghua University to strengthen ongoing partnerships and identify new avenues for joint research and educational initiatives.
This trip underscores ENSIGN’s commitment to advancing global cooperation and innovation in sustainable energy systems.
