2. Scotland Accelerates

While the Energy Review talks of expanding the UK Renewables Obligation to 20%, possibly by 2020, (see Renew 163), research by Scottish Renewables has suggested that by the end of 2007, 19% of Scotland’s electricity will be coming from renewables, meeting the Scottish Executive’s target three years early. And by 2010, they say that 33% of electricity could come from renewables, including a contribution from wave and tidal energy, and by 2020 more than 50% could come from renewables.

The RenewableEnergyAccess.com news service said that the group believes that industry is ready to deliver ‘up to 160 megawatts of wave and tidal projects by the end of 2010, enough to meet the electricity needs of approx. 90,000 homes’, if the Scottish Executive and UK Government work together on financial support, grid access and project consents.

According to Maf Smith, chief executive of Scottish Renewables, “there is a big prize to be won if Scotland can press ahead and develop wave and tidal energy. However, delivery of other renewables needs to continue if Scotland is to meet its overall renewable targets. The Scottish Executive does need to act now if we want to see wave and tidal energy projects in Scotland, but mustn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater by holding back other more mature technologies.”

He went on “We see that with some simple changes to how support is channeled we can have a profound effect on bringing forwards wave and tidal energy projects in the next three years. The UK Government is now looking at making similar changes, but we cannot wait for a UK wide scheme, but instead should look for opportunities for testing marine support ahead of changing UK support in 2010. It is also clear that other countries such as Portugal and Spain are intent on building a marine industry in their own backyard, so Scotland and the UK need to recognize that there is a global race on to be the home of an international marine sector.”

The Scottish Executive had produced a Route Map to Scotlands Renewable Energy which highlights the opportunity for renewables to meet future electricity, heat and transport fuel needs. It’s very ambitious. Overall it says that ‘Scotland has sufficient renewable energy resources to provide up to 75% of UK electricity needs and already Scotland’s renewable electricity sector is meeting around 16% of Scots’ electricity needs’.

It says that by 2010, renewable sources could be meeting up to 30% of Scotland’s electricity needs and over 50% by 2020. And, by 2020 it says 10% of Scotlands heat needs and 10% of its road transport fuel could be coming from renewables. Moreover Scottish Renewables clearly thinks that even more is possible. Either way Scotland is pushing ahead far faster than the rest of the UK- which has only reached 4% of electricity, and 10% by 2010 target seems unlikely to be attained.

*A potential midge in the ointment in Scotland is however that, according to the Sunday Times (3/9/06), First Minister Jack McConnell ‘is to drop his blanket ban on new nuclear power stations being built in Scotland, claiming that any proposal will be considered “on its merits”’. That could deroute plans!

For a summary of ‘Delivering the New Generation of Energy: A Route Map to Scotland’s Renewable Energy’ see:www.scottishrenewables.com/data/reports/
SRF_Route_Map_%20Exec_Summary.pdf

Big Scottish offshore wind
The first 5MW wind turbine in the new two machine ‘Beatrice’ deep-sea offshore wind demonstrator project has been installed in the Moray Firth, on a lattice-like jacket structure, piled to the seabed at a depth of 44 meters.ii