Shetland Heat Energy and Power (SHEAP) is a pioneering project that processes waste to create heat for homes and businesses. Inspired by similar projects in Scandinavia, it was set up 20 years ago by Shetland Islands Council and Shetland Charitable Trust.
SHEAP is a practical working example of the community and public sector investing in a shared vision. It operates as a circular economy: heat is created from unrecyclable waste; it’s distributed to homes, businesses and community buildings at a reasonable price; and any profit goes back into helping the community. You can read more about the history of the project in this blog post written earlier this year.
To explain the impressive work that SHEAP does in a simple, digestible way local filmmakers JJ Jamieson and Liz Mussler have created a new film featuring 10-year-old Thomas Leask and his cat Keiko. The film features in a new campaign by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), the region’s community and economic development agency, called #GoPlaces. The campaign showcases innovative new projects across Scotland that bring social and community benefit.
“This wonderfully engaging film uses a young Shetlander’s obvious natural talent, to get over such clear and important messages about how we must rethink our opportunities to ‘do the right things’ for our communities, and for the planet,” explained Douglas Cowan, HIE’s Director of Community and Place. “What’s really impressive is that this all started before Thomas was born, and has been sustained and developed as a model that other communities could surely benefit from.”