A Kilwinning student has been awarded a prestigious scholarship which will help him pave his way to becoming an expert in the energy and environmental sectors.

Matthew Craven, 22, will study an integrated Masters in Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the University of Strathclyde, thanks to the ScottishPower Foundation’s scholarships programme. 

Twenty eight students were awarded the grants following a nation-wide application process and have taken up places at some of the UK’s most esteemed institutions for the next academic year.

Matthew said: “When I received the email I was convinced it was bad news - I had to re-read it several times to be sure my eyes weren’t deceiving me.

“I was over the moon with the offer and immediately went out to celebrate.”

During the final year of his Undergraduate course, Matthew became interested in energy conservation and he hopes to progress in this field in the future.

He added: “I believe some of the biggest challenges within this area is how we replace fossil fuels in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

“I also think developing power storage solutions in order to meet demand cycles will be a large area of focus in coming years. Ideally, I would like to work in research and development looking into these challenges.”

Since it was launched in 2010, the ScottishPower Foundation has invested more than £850,000 in the scheme, however this year sees an increased focus on developing the next generation of industry experts with an unprecedented investment of approximately £700,000 in this year’s programme.