Renewables will ‘transform’ Scotland’s economy - Alex Salmond

SCOTLAND’S economy will be transformed and communities reindustrialised by offshore clean energy, First Minister Alex Salmond said today.

• Alex Salmond reiterates pledge to generate all Scotland’s energy from renewables by 2020

• Renewables industry supports thousands of Scottish jobs, First Minister argues

• Wind farm critic Donald Trump to appear at Holyrood on Wednesday

On Wednesday Donald Trump, the US tycoon, is due to argue against wind farms at the Scottish Parliament.

Mr Trump, who said he would not have built his golf course in the north east had he known about plans to build turbines nearby, has been an outspoken critic of wind farms.

He has said they could “completely end” tourism in Scotland and the country is “in effect committing financial suicide”.

• The Scottish Government’s renewables map (PDF file)

Today, Mr Salmond was setting out the case for offshore renewable technology such as wind, wave and tidal power.

He said the Scottish Government’s policies on renewable energy were creating thousands of jobs and would generate thousands more in the future.

Recent investment announcements in the offshore sector were highlighted in a map published by the Government today, including plans by international turbine manufacturers Mitsubishi and Gamesa, the latter of which recently chose Leith in Edinburgh as the site of its wind turbine manufacturing facility, which will create 800 jobs.

The First Minister said: “Leases have already been granted to develop more than eleven gigawatts of offshore wind, wave and tidal-energy generating capacity up to 2020 - by when we aim to be producing 100 per cent of our domestic electricity needs from renewables while continuing as a net exporter of power.

“Even before these offshore clean energy projects have been deployed, renewables contributed more than a third of Scotland’s electricity needs in 2011 and the sector supports more than 11,000 jobs - and tens of thousands of more jobs will be created.

“The map highlights many of the recent investment commitments and proposals announced in just one sector of our world-leading energy industry, which is helping to transform our economy and reindustrialise communities across Scotland.”

Mr Trump will appear at Holyrood’s Energy Committee on Wednesday, where he will give evidence as part of its inquiry into the Government’s renewables targets.

The tycoon has said he would not have built his golf course in the north east of Scotland if he had known about plans to install turbines off the coast.