Call for Scotland and Germany to work closer together to meet renewable targets

SCOTLAND and Germany should work together to achieve their renewable energy targets, energy minister Fergus Ewing announced today.

• Germany has set out plans to move away from nuclear power and the country is Scotland’s fourth biggest export market

He is giving the keynote address at the Windforce 2012 offshore wind conference in Bremen, Germany, and will set out the opportunities that come from the two countries working together.

Mr Ewing said: “Scotland and Germany have a history of cooperation and mutual trade that goes back to the 13th century.

“We have 36 twinning relationships between German and Scottish cities and towns, and Scotland has an 18,000 strong German community. Germany is our fourth largest market for exports, with exports worth £1,265 million in 2010, and this can only increase as Germany turns away from nuclear power and towards renewables.

“Both countries have highly ambitious renewable energy targets.”

The SNP has set an ambitious target of generating the equivalent of 100% of the country’s electricity needs from renewables – like windfarms, wave and tidal power schemes – by 2020.

“Scotland leads the world in renewable energy,” Mr ewing said.

“Planned offshore wind projects in Scotland have the potential to produce up to 10GW of electricity by 2020, and the industry could generate more than £7 billion for the economy by 2020.

“We want to share our experience, skills and expertise with our German counterparts.”

Mr Ewing will also witness the signing of a letter of intent for collaborative working between ForWind, a research partnership between three German Universities, and the Energy Technology Partnership, a research alliance of Scottish Universities.