Letter: Power supply

Published on 22/12/2010 16:00

Far from opposing carbon capture and storage (CCS), as Muir Miller mistakenly writes, (Platform, 21 December), Friends of the Earth Scotland, WWF Scotland and RSPB Scotland support the demonstration of CCS technology in Scotland. But Ayrshire Power's proposal at Hunterston is the wrong proposal in the the wrong place.

We back proposals at Longannet and Peterhead to install CCS technology on existing power stations, cutting emissions and keeping costs to electricity consumers to a minimum. Unlike Hunterston, these power stations are well located to help Scotland develop carbon transport and storage techniques in disused North Sea oil and gas fields.

Not only is Hunterston on the wrong side of the country, but the proposed development would destroy a significant part of a nationally important wildlife site, and its emissions would damage internationally important habitats.

The Scottish Government's electricity generation statement makes clear that Scotland does not need new thermal power stations like Hunterston as long as existing ones like Longannet can be cleaned up. MSPs from across the political spectrum have already expressed strong opposition to the Hunterston proposal.

The government should reject Ayrshire Power's application and focus on delivering retro-fit CCS demonstrations at existing power stations.

Duncan McLaren

Friends of the Earth Scotland

Stuart Housden

RSPB Scotland

Dr Richard Dixon

WWF Scotland

Rosie Vetter of Scottish Renewables (Letters, 22 December) is fooling nobody. At noon on 21 December the Neta website showed no electricity being produced by wind. Even if there were another 10,000 turbines not producing that makes no difference to the reality of the situation.

Perhaps Ms Vetter can stop rewriting the script for Much Ado About Nothing and tell us where our power is going to come from when the wind does not blow.

Ron Greer

Blair Atholl

Perthshire

If Rosie Vetter of Scottish Renewables has data on Scottish electricity generation for last year she should tell the Scottish Government, whose website has data only up to 2008. In that year, renewables generated only 18 per cent of all electricity generated here (because of exports, it cannot be assumed that the same proportion was consumed here).

Steuart Campbell

Dovecot Loan

Edinburgh