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EXPLOITING THE WINDS OF CHANGE Scotland is Fast-Tracking Technologies to Make Us a Leader in Renewables, Says Nicol Stephen FUTURE OF SCOTLAND: ENERGY

Posted on: Friday, 10 March 2006, 09:00 CST

By Nicol Stephen

Estimates suggest that 25-per cent of Europe's renewable energy potential is in Scotland so we could be a genuine world leader in this field. Not only do we have the ideal environment for generating wind, wave and tidal power but Scottish companies are blazing a trail by creating the technology to harness these natural resources.

In the last few months I have witnessed first-hand some fantastic projects and innovations. I recently formally opened the Black Law Wind farm, the largest operating wind farm in the UK. The Lanarkshire site has been transformed from an old open-cast coal mine into a 42-turbine site with the potential to power a town the size of Paisley. The project has helped regenerate the area, and many jobs have also been created.

This is just one example of the importance renewable energy can have, not just to our environment but to Scotland's wider economic prospects. Despite being a relatively new sector, there are benefits in exporting our energy, expertise and technology.

Companies such as Fife-based Burntisland Fabrications Limited (BiFab) have already demonstrated the economic gains. They were recently awarded a GBP5m contract to fabricate vital components for the world's deepest offshore wind turbines. This has already created 60 jobs during the pilot phase and could result in many more if those involved proceed to full scale production.

Scottish engineering skills are also being used to construct Ocean Power Delivery's Pelamis system at Stonehaven and develop Lunar Energy's tidal device in Aberdeen. And with increasing support from Scottish ministers for the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney, we have the opportunity to be the world centre for setting the standards for this new industry. By developing the sector and encouraging investment we can bring real opportunities and sustainable benefits to Scotland. The Scottish Executive's target is to have 18-per cent of electricity generated in Scotland to come from renewable sources by 2010 and 40-per cent by 2020. We are confident of meeting these and a new report published by Edinburgh University confirms that our confidence is well founded.

I chair the Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland (FREDS), a unique collaboration between government, academia and the energy industry which has identified the practical steps needed to develop Scottish success in marine energy, biomass and new hydrogen- based technologies. The group is determined to remove any barriers faced by emerging industries.

I want to see Scotland become a world leader in marine energy and the Executive is working towards that goal. In September last year I announced that we would be amending legislation to make wave and tidal projects in Scotland easier to develop. We will consult on the changes later this year and intend to have them in place by April 2007 - making sure we have support in place for the first marine devices in Scottish waters on day one.

It is vital that we are able to fast-track the technologies associated with these resources and push them forward into the market.

Not everything will need to be done on a large scale. The Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI) has awarded over GBP5m in grants to more than 700 small-scale renewable projects and households since 2002.

The City of Edinburgh Council's sheltered housing in Saughton Mains Terrace runs a solar water project with households sharing solar heating panels in which tenants have seen reductions in their 'heat-to-rent' costs.

Local projects are important for creating opportunities for the renewable technologies industry and creating more jobs. Demand for SCHRI grants was so high that Scottish ministers pledged an additional GBP250,000 of funding. I'm looking at increasing the allocated budget for this particular scheme for the next two years, and revising its scope to focus more on community projects off the gas grid, where we can achieve the greatest benefit.

I am committed to renewable energy. The economic and environmental rewards for Scotland and Scottish businesses are clear and considerable. We will move quickly to develop the infrastructure and technology we need to achieve our target of becoming Europe's renewables power house and making a huge difference to climate change.

*Nicol Stephen is Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning

Source: Herald, The; Glasgow (UK)

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