Don't leave Scotland's green energy expertise out in the cold

Published on Wednesday 15 July 2009 21:59

THE government's ambitious plans to make Britain a green economy took a step closer to reality yesterday with the publication of its detailed Low Carbon Transition Plan.

As well as cutting overall greenhouse gas emissions by 34 per cent by 2020 (relative to 1990 figures), we are promised a bonanza of "green" jobs arising from the introduction of new energy technologies. Given the high increase in unemployment, which was also announced yesterday, such jobs would be very welcome.

However, on closer inspection, the transition plan seems to be heavily geared to funding these new green jobs in the English south-west. The proposals designate the south-west of England as Britain's first "low-carbon economic area". Over 100 million of public and European Union money will be spent in the next two years to make the area a world centre in wind and tidal power. This will include building the world's biggest wave farm and funding a connection to the National Grid on the seabed off Cornwall. Some 1,800 jobs will result. In addition, the government is considering building a giant tidal power scheme on the Severn Estuary, which would generate 5 per cent of the UK's electricity needs.

The only problem is that this ambitious new programme cuts across years of patient work to build up a centre of research excellence in maritime renewables in Scotland. The Orkney-based European Marine Energy Centre (Emec) was the first centre of its kind. Another world-first was achieved when Pelamis Wave Power, an Edinburgh company, generated electricity to the National Grid from its deep-water floating device at Emec's wave test site. Emec has now opened a second test site – for tidal devices, which is already pumping electricity into the grid.

Of course, there is nothing wrong in principle with having two, competing centres of excellence in maritime renewables. And the Westminster government yesterday announced it was putting another 8m into Emec. However, there are technical – as opposed to political – reasons why Scotland was chosen originally as the centre for such work. Tidal power only works in specific locations. On a global basis, tidal power could provide 150 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per annum. Because of where it is, the UK could provide 10 per cent of that global output. But over 80 per cent of the UK potential is located in Scottish waters.

That is why the decision to replicate – at great expense – Scottish maritime research work in the English south-west seems odd. Especially as Ocean Power Technologies (Opt), the company selected to build the wave farm in Cornwall, is American. If its technology proves successful, will Opt manufacture in Britain or its New Jersey home?

Britain needs green electricity and green jobs. Rather than reinvent the wheel, the UK government should be backing the work pioneered in Scotland. It is difficult to see why it is not doing so. We should be told.