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Today’s banner

Within a few hundred yards of Commonwealth House, Glasgow

Photograph by
Islay McLeod

We have the capacity

to be a European leader

in renewable energy

Andy Hall

Imagine a world where technology at the cutting edge is being developed in Scotland. Where some of the biggest engineering companies in the world, from Germany to Japan, are bringing employment to parts of the country long considered unfit for much else but grazing. This world is now.

     Scotland is a world leader in marine renewables and most of the ‘firsts’ in this field have a Scottish connection. The first grid-connected wave-power station, first wave-farm, first commercial scale wave-power plant – all in Scotland or using technology developed here. Much of this is a legacy of government policy, putting in place the right incentives to make Scotland a great place to test the technology required to tap into the fantastic natural resources we have.
     Government policy will always play a part in driving development and governments across Europe are taking renewable energy very seriously. All 27 countries in the EU have been set targets for renewable energy generation in 2020. For the UK the target is for 15% of all energy produced to come from renewable sources. At the time of setting the targets, only Malta and Luxembourg had less renewable energy generation than the UK, so we have a lot to do. The Scottish Government has taken the UK’s commitment even further by doubling Scotland’s target to 30% – this includes the equivalent of 100% of electricity consumption. These targets are high and we will struggle to meet them but the government is right to set the bar at this level.
     Of course, government may set the targets but it’s private companies who will deliver the results. These companies need confidence in the marketplace before they will commit to large investments and a lot of investment is needed to meet even the minimum targets set by the EU. This is why strong signals are essential now from the government to allow infrastructure projects which will take years of effort to complete to go ahead as soon as possible. This is exactly what has happened in Scotland with the latest investments in the electricity grid network.
     The existing grid is set up for large-scale generation and energy use in the central belt. The renewable resources are of course scattered throughout the country and to take full advantage of the potential of renewables a more distributed grid is required. The government’s commitment to the expansion of renewables has allowed investment to begin already. The first tower for the Beauly-Denny line is complete and Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) and Scottish Power have recently committed to up to £7billion of network upgrades. Scottish Power has described the plans as ‘the most important upgrades to the electricity network in central and southern Scotland for more than 50 years’. These upgrades must happen for targets to be met – network capacity is already restricting projects across Scotland.

New technologies may need some help at first but we have already
seen that with the right support Scotland has become a world leader
in marine renewables.

     It’s difficult to overstate how privileged a position we have in Scotland, having such a large share of the renewable energy potential in Europe. Of the vast tidal and offshore wind resources available across Europe, a quarter lies in Scottish waters. Anyone who has seen big Atlantic storms rolling in probably won’t be surprised to know that we have a tenth of Europe’s wave power potential as well. It is right that we take advantage of these resources and become a leader in offshore energy. Scotland has a history of succeeding in harsh environments and our experience in North Sea oil and gas will be invaluable when we develop the offshore energy supply. With the vast power available offshore, the opportunity is there to become a key player in supplying Europe’s renewable energy needs.
     Developing technologies will always be more expensive than using traditional technologies which have been refined over decades, if not hundreds of years. Steam engines have been around since the 1700s and much development happened in Scotland. James Watt made machines five times more efficient than previous attempts and the descendants of this technology form the basis for conventional power generation. Now it’s marine energy’s turn to be developed and it has the potential right now to take the step from demonstration devices to full deployment. This can and should be supported through grants and subsidies. If we do not take this step our lead will be thrown away, development will move elsewhere and we’ll be left behind. Let’s keep supporting the industry and continue to bring world-leading engineering to Scotland.
     As we build new biomass plants, hydro, wind-farms and wave-farms we’ll move closer to our targets, producing more and more energy from renewable sources. One other way to increase the energy share of renewables is to reduce the amount of energy we need in the first place and cut back on conventional power generation. A key target in the government’s energy policy is to reduce the country’s final energy consumption by 12%. The amount of energy being consumed across the country has been falling for the last five years so it looks likely that this target will be met. Further investment in high efficiency appliances and better insulation will help reduce energy use even more and this is one area where every single person can play a part in meeting our goals.
     A diverse and balanced mix of energy sources is needed to secure our energy supply – there is no silver bullet, no single source which will provide for all our needs. We need to look to the resources on our doorstep and use all the options that nature has given us. New technologies may need some help at first but we have already seen that with the right support Scotland has become a world leader in marine renewables. High targets for renewable energy should be set; even if they are overly ambitious, they will draw in investment, create jobs and maintain our country’s reputation for innovation. The investment required has already begun, work has started to put in place the infrastructure that will allow us to meet the goals we have set, but we need to build on this and keep investing.
     We have a great opportunity before us. All we need to do is support, develop and invest and we can turn all our potential into power.

Andy Hall, a development engineer at Voith Hydro Wavegen, delivered this paper at the recent Young Scotland Programme. He is writing here in a personal capacity and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of his employer