2. Scotland leads the way

Energy from wind, waves and tides could provide up to 10 times more power than Scotland needs, according to a new study by energy consultants Garrad Hassan in Glasgow, produced for the Scottish Executive. The study concludes that the potential renewable energy resource in Scotland at under 7p/Kwh is nearly 60GW by 2010, mainly from onshore and offshore wind and marine energy. As well as being 10 times the nation’s peak demand for power on the coldest day in winter, this is equivalent to three-quarters of the generating capacity of the entire UK. A summary of the report has been passed on to the PIU review group.

The Scottish Sunday Herald (Dec.9th) was in triumphant mood.‘The study paves the way for a historic sea-change in energy policy that should give Scotland a chance to lead the world in developing the technologies for tapping the awesome power of nature’. Simon Pepper, director of the World Wildlife Fund Scotland, said: ‘At last here it is in black and white: a renewable energy future for Scotland, confirming for all that the potential is there if we choose to make something of it. One of the greatest opportunities this highlights is the potential for job creation and investment in manufacturing and engineering. It could be an economic treasure chest for the people of Scotland.’

The report takes account of the environmental, planning and technical constraints, and works out the total resources that will be available in 2010 for less than 7p/kWh of electricity. The simplest and cheapest option is onshore wind power, which could provide 11.5 gigawatts of electricity for less than 3p/kWh. This is nearly twice Scotland's peak demand and is 11 times more than the power needed to meet the Executive’s target of 18% of electricity from renewable sources by 2010. The report concludes that this wind resource ‘is all available within the 30% of Scotland’s land area which is not environmentally designated in one way or another, and in fact would only occupy around 2% of that area. This means that Scotland should be able to meet, largely, but not exclusively from onshore wind, the Executive’s objective that, by 2010, increased renewable generation should account for 18% of electricity supplied in Scotland; this will require around 1GW of new renewable capacity’.

The Sunday Herald noted that, if it was assumed that none would be built on the 70% of land that is protected because of its scenic beauty or its wildlife and natural habitats, that would rule out the site initially earmarked for one of the world’s largest wind farms on Lewis (see earlier). The 600MW development being considered by British Energy and AMEC could damage an environmentally important peat bog. Another potential problem identified in the study was Ministry of Defence opposition to wind turbines in areas used by low-flying military jets.

The new study says that up to 25 gigawatts of electricity could be produced by 8000 or more wind turbines stationed on platforms out at sea, and the potential contribution from wave power is put at 14 GW. Although it is at an earlier stage and is more expensive than wind power, there are at least three different wave power machines under development. Turbines installed underwater could extract up to 7.5 GW. Surprisingly, biomass (energy crops/ farm wastes) only puts up to 0.6GW and hydro only 0.3 GW.

See: www.scotland.gov.uk/who/elld/energy/ener_uker_supsub.asp

Some other large windfarms have recently been proposed in Scotland, including a 70 turbine £60m project by Scottish and Southern Energy near Girvan in South Ayrshire. Meanwhile a second report released by the Executive shows that the 18% renewables target can be achieved using the existing power grid, but it would need a £195m upgrade.

Plan for a 600MW wind farm

The Hebridean island of Lewis could become the site for the world’s largest onshore wind farm, if a plan to install 300 2MW wind turbines near Stornoway gets planning permission. The electricity generated could be "exported" via the proposed 350-mile undersea cable, with links through to Merseyside or North Wales, an idea which, (see later), is subject to a separate DTI supported study.

The £600 million Lewis project is being developed jointly by Amec and British Energy. Amec are undertaking a year long detailed feasibility study into cost, location and environmental impact as the first stage of the project.

Brian Wilson, Minister for Energy said: ‘This project has the potential to provide around one per cent of the UK’s electricity needs. I am delighted that a project of such significance has emerged and that it would not only contribute to our energy needs but also create manufacturing employment on Lewis. This wind farm could be a wonderful long term investment for the local community and there is a clear link between economic benefit and community ownership of the land involved. It is particularly gratifying that the companies’ plans are based on the reopening of the former oil fabrication yard at Arnish Point, as a turbine and tower manufacturing plant. This emphasises the fact that manufacturing for renewables can become a very substantial sector of our economy. Initially 150 jobs will be created for turbine and tower manufacture but more will follow in operation and maintenance of the windfarm’.

The land chosen is owned by the Stornoway Trust, a publicly owned charity, and the income from the turbines is expected to benefit the local community, which votes on the makeup of the trust, by at least £3m a year. The prospects for local economic renewal clearly went down well in this area of high unemployment and low wages. "This would be the largest ever single investment in the Western Isles," said local MP Calum MacDonald. "It is the equivalent of oil coming without the problems."

As noted in Renew 135, the Western Isles Council has already set up an "energy innovation zone" and recently gave planning consent for a smaller wind turbine project. "I think renewable energy is very positive for the Western Isles," Finlay Morrison, a Lewis councillor, told the Guardian. "But I think there will be quite a discussion if it is that size of development. If there's a windmill on every hill then I'm not sure that the local population will accept that, but if it is sensibly handled then they might be more open to the idea."

Scottish Friends of the Earth, said "This is the type of development we would welcome. But we need to see the planning applications and community response. There will be concern about the visual impact and the preferred site is a European-protected peat bog." That also worries Scottish National Hertitage and the RSPB. So there could be serious planning problems ahead.

But at least the undersea link could remove one of the technical hurdles. The Western Isles have some of the best conditions in the world for wind, tidal and wave power but developers have always had the problem of how to connect to the national grid. The proposed cable running directly to England or Wales is seen as the answer, avoiding having to strengthen hundreds of miles of power lines in Scotland and Northern England where the national grid is most fragile. It is hoped the cable would encourage other renewable energy companies from around the world to set up on Lewis. A second stage could include an offshore wind farm, together with wave and tidal power projects. According to the Guardian, the developer said that, overall, there was ‘a potential to generate more than 2,000 MW of electricity’. Calum MacDonald commented "The plan is to use the initial onshore wind farm to generate the cash to finance the cable. The second stage will be to develop offshore wind and tidal power and, looking far ahead, to position the Hebrides as an ideal sight for the nirvana of energy- hydrogen power. This project could unlock the whole potential of renewables to give Britain sustainable, clean energy."

Sources: DTI/ Guardian Nov 26 / Sunday Herald 2 Dec

....but Wales may catch up

As we noted in Renew 134, Wales is in danger of becoming a no-wind zone, given the level of opposition to new wind projects. But the tide may have turned, following the recent launch by Brian Wilson, the Minister for Energy, of a new windfarm at Parc Cynog and the consent given to another, to be built at Cefn Croes. The combined power will be enough to supply over 40,000 homes.

The £3.5 million project built in Parc Cynog has five 720 kW turbines and will produce enough power to supply over 4000 houses. This is the first windfarm to be built in Wales for two years. The £35 m development at Cefn Croes, at 58.5 MW, will be the single largest windfarm in the UK. It will result in savings of 150,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

Speaking at Parc Cynog, Brian Wilson said: "The launch of these windfarms should mark the start of a new period of expansion for wind energy in this country.

Wales is blessed with some of the finest energy rich natural sources in the world. I am confident that Government, investors and the local community will work together to ensure that these assets are utilised to help reduce the effects of climate change."

Speaking about the newly opened windfarm in Parc Cynog, the Minister said: "British engineering had a huge part to play in the development of this windfarm. The 44 metre high turbines were manufactured in Wales and 17 other UK companies were involved in the project. Potential for manufacturing is an important part of the case in favour of developing our renewables industry."

Speaking about the newly approved windfarm in Cefn Croes Mr Wilson said:

"This development is equivalent to one third of the wind turbine capacity currently operating in Wales. Once built, it will supply nearly 50% of the electricity needs of Ceredigion and one percent of the needs of Wales. This development will put Wales right at the forefront of the renewables expansion which I am anxious to promote throughout the UK."

Brian Wilson also announced he will shortly be introducing new rules which had been proposed earlier for the relocation of renewable energy projects which have been proposed under the non fossil fuel obligation but have failed to obtain planning permission. "These new rules will unlock around 100 renewable energy projects, currently blocked by planning constraints, to drive forward a significant expansion in the production of green energy. Many of the projects will be wind based."

New marine cable to link UK renewables

The Department of Trade and Industry has launched a new study into the idea of building an offshore electricity transmission grid along the West coast of Britain, linking it directly to the mainland national grid. The DTI notes that ‘the West coast of Britain has large undeveloped renewable resources. If these are to be fully exploited, there will be a need to upgrade the existing electricity infrastructure. One possibility would be the development of an underwater cable to connect parts of the Western seaboard of Scotland, North West of England, Northern Ireland, Western Wales and possibly, the South West of England, directly to the national grid’.

An initial study, funded by the Government’s renewable research and development programme, is being carried out by PB Power Ltd, who will look into the feasibility of such an interconnector. The results should emerge soon.

The study will look at a number of issues, including: cost, geographic location, and the extent to which renewable energy resources can be served by an interconnector.

Interestingly, as we noted in Renew 128 (p.29), in 1999 ETSU published the results of an earlier study by PB Power on a similar idea- installing a 2GW high voltage DC link between Scotland and N. Wales, to transmit Scottish wind generated electricity south- and so avoid the environmental objections that have already emerged in relation to the plan to expand the land based interconnect between Scotland and England. The ETSU report (W/33/00529/REP) estimated the cost of various links, and decided that the cheapest was one that ran between the nuclear site at Chapel Cross in South West Scotland and the nuclear plant at Wyfa in Wales, which would add 0.5p/kWh to the cost of electricity.

If the new study confirms that an offshore interconnector is economically and technically viable, a second study will follow to examine, in more detail, cable routings and points of connection with the electricity transmission network.

Brian Wilson, Minister for Energy said: ‘The UK has huge untapped renewable resources, but much of this potential can not be fully utilised at present because of weak or non existent electricity infrastructure in some places. The proposed interconnector is a possible means of capturing this powerflow and transmitting it around the UK, without encountering many of the inevitable environmental concerns which land based transmission systems would attract’. He added ‘The Western Seaboard, from the Hebrides down to the West country, could contribute far more of the country’s energy needs if this infrastructure deficiency can be overcome. The economic implications of these proposals are enormous’.

During an interview with Radio Scotland (12/11/01), Wilson said that it was expected to cost around £400m and might go as far south as the South West of England at a costs of around £1m per mile to install. But not everyone liked the idea. In a session of the Trade and Industry Select Committee session, its chair, Martin O'Niell, commented that the history of British energy is ‘littered with ideas from the the bright ideas box that come out prematurely and raise expectations and cost money and very often never actually produce the goods at the end of the day’. Wilson, replied that it was ‘better to light one candle than to forever curse the darkness’, to which O’Niel responded. ‘This is a question which maybe should have been asked before the match was even taken out of the box to light the candle’. Similarly negative views came from OFGEM's Callum McCarhly, who expressed concern about the wisdom of trying to install, and then transmit power from, generators in remote areas.