MEDIA RELEASE

Forth Energy Withdraws Current Renewable Energy Plant Application for the Port of Leith Forth Energy announces today (Thursday, 9th February 2012) that, in light of new proposals to develop the Port of Leith as a hub for offshore renewable energy manufacture and support and the consequent demand for space at the Port, it has written to the Scottish Governments Energy Consents Unit withdrawing its current application for permission to build a combined heat and power (CHP) plant at Leith.

Forth Energy the joint venture between Forth Ports Limited and SSE plc will re-assess the potential for renewable energy production at the Port of Leith, owned by Forth Ports, once the full configuration of renewables companies locating at the Port has been finalised, land availability has been re-evaluated and the demand for renewable energy has been assessed.

The Port of Leith has been identified by Scottish Enterprise as Scotlands top location for renewables manufacturing under the National Renewables Infrastructure Plan; is the subject of a Memorandum of Understanding between Scottish Enterprise, City of Edinburgh Council and Forth Ports; and is within the Scottish Governments recently-announced Low Carbon / Renewables East Enterprise Area.

Forth Ports and SSE remain committed, through their joint venture project, Forth Energy, to developing wood-fuelled CHP plants at the Ports of Grangemouth, Rosyth and Dundee.

Calum Wilson, Managing Director of Forth Energy, said: Much has changed since we first applied for permission to build a CHP plant at Leith, not least the Ports emerging status as a hub to support the Scottish offshore renewable energy industry.

We remain fully committed to bringing reliable, responsible, renewable heat and electricity to Scotland through our proposed developments at the Ports of Grangemouth, Rosyth and Dundee and, in the process, assisting the Scottish Government in achieving its ambitious 2020 renewable energy targets. Once the configuration of the Port of Leith has been established, we will re-assess the opportunity and industrial demand for renewable energy and heat at the Port.

Charles Hammond, Chief Executive of Forth Ports, said: The level of demand from renewables companies keen to locate at the Port of Leith means that it is appropriate that we draw breath while we see how the land configuration at the port evolves.

We are fully committed to supporting the Scottish Governments strategy for renewables manufacturing and our joint decision to withdraw this application at this stage will help to facilitate the Port of Leiths role as a renewables hub. 9th February, 2012

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Further Enquiries: Debbie Johnston, Spreng & Co debbie@sprengandco.com Callum Spreng, Spreng & Co callum@sprengandco.com Notes to Editors About Forth Energy: Forth Energy is a strategic joint venture initiative by SSE plc and Forth Ports Limited focused on developing wood-fuelled renewable combined heat and power (CHP) plants at the ports of Dundee, Grangemouth and Rosyth, supporting the Scottish Governments ambitious 2020 renewable energy targets for heat and electricity. The combined plants represent a total 2 07532 183811

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investment of 1.1 billion and will generate a total of 300MW of electricity and 260MW of heat. The CHP plants will generate reliable supplies of low carbon heat and electricity for both industrial processes and residential community and commercial heating. The plants will bring economic growth, construction and operational jobs to Dundee, Grangemouth and Rosyth and the potential to build a district heating network around each plant helping local businesses to meet their carbon reduction commitment targets in the process. Wood fuel for the plants will be sourced predominantly from overseas and imported through Scotlands major ports. Shipping is the lowest carbon means of transport being over 14 times more carbon efficient that road. The proposed CHP plants will not compete with Scotlands existing wood-using industries for resources, as the fuel will be imported. For more information go to: www.forth-energy.co.uk