Scotland


a Scottish energy regulator. “However, the lines of authority are not drawn as clearly as you might think,” he said. “In the Scottish Government’s Scotland’s Future: Your Guide to An Independent Scotland, there is some ambiguity about the control over incentives for renewable energy. The Scottish Government appears to want the English to carry on paying for new renewables in Scotland whilst ensuring that the Scots do not pay for UK nuclear power. There are thus still unanswered questions about who would pay the incentives necessary for new schemes in an independent Scotland. “I have argued that an independent Scotland in pursuit of


its renewable energy targets would not necessarily be worse off in terms of electricity prices compared to continued union. Certainly, this applies to a UK where everybody is lumbered with an expensive nuclear programme, especially if the Conservatives’ idea of excluding most onshore renewables developments makes the renewables programme more expensive as well. However, it is not clear that independence would be superior to a ‘devoplus’ solution, which included the reforms suggested above. There is still a clear policy vacuum because the pro-independence parties (SNP and Greens) have not sketched out what they would prioritise in the way of further devolution the event of a ‘no’ vote, and the unionist parties’ proposals are at best minimalistic and seem, for the most part, to imply something close to the status quo. In the event of a ‘no’ vote, one would hope that the SNP and the Greens would come out with some clear plans for energy devolution.” In the run-up to the independence referendum, a number of important announcements were made. Scottish energy minister Fergus Ewing announced formal consent of two adjacent offshore windfarm applications in the outer Moray Firth. These are Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd (MORL) and the Beatrice Offshore Windfarm Ltd (BOWL), which together will be the world’s third-largest offshore windfarm, with up to 326 turbines. The developments, sited off the Caithness coast, will be capable of generating up to 1,866 megawatts (MW) of electricity and will be worth up to £2.5 billion to the Scottish economy. The consents were granted subject to strict conditions that will mitigate and monitor a range of potential impacts, including in relation to birds and other environmental considerations, and the developers have to undertake local, regional and strategic bird monitoring and have to comply with a number of plans such as the Environmental Management Plan and the Operation and Maintenance Programme to ensure effective mitigation takes place.


Mr Ewing said Scotland has the potential to lead the development of a new renewables industry as offshore wind moves into deeper waters. “Offshore renewables represent a huge opportunity for Scotland; an opportunity to build up new industries and to deliver on our ambitious renewable energy and carbon reduction targets,” he said. Mr Ewing said offshore


wind “has been delayed by the process of the UK Government’s EMR”, but the two consents were tangible progress towards real investment opportunity in Scotland.


“The Scottish government is committed to the successful and sustainable development of an offshore wind sector, which could lead to a potential inward investment of £30 billion and support up to 28,000 direct jobs and a further 20,000 indirect jobs, generating up to £7.1 billion for the Scottish economy,” Mr Ewing claimed. “As this industry develops, our enterprise agencies are working to secure supply chain development for Scotland. The Scottish government wants to see the right developments in the right places, and Scottish planning policy is clear that the design and location of any onshore and offshore windfarm should reflect the scale and character of the landscape or seascape and should be considered environmentally acceptable.” The announcement was welcomed by Scottish Renewables, whose senior policy manager Lindsay Leask described it as “a really important step forward for the industry” whilst cautioning that the future of the projects rests on their ability to access financial support through the EMR programme. “The question is whether the projects can access a contract for difference,” she told OWJ. In August, the Scottish Government granted a marine licence for the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) in Aberdeen Bay. The development now has all of the permissions it needs to go ahead but remains tied up in court battles with US tycoon Donald Trump, who has led a bitter public campaign against the project, and awaits an investor willing to put up the money to build the £230 million scheme. Scotland’s first minister Alex Salmond also recently announced details of a £2.2 million project to cut costs for offshore wind by at least 10 per cent. The Carbon Trust’s Offshore Wind Accelerator (OWA) programme, a joint industry and government scheme, brings together nine offshore wind developers with over 72 per cent (31 gigawatts (GW)) of the UK’s licensed capacity. The project aims to deliver the 10 per cent reduction in time for offshore wind developments in Scottish waters, with partners working together to identify technological challenges and prioritising those with the most significant savings potential before developing innovative solutions. The OWA will receive £200,000 in 2014/15 and £2,000,000 in 2015/16. The money will be used to encourage international collaboration between the world’s leading offshore wind developers to address cost-reduction challenges in Scottish waters; share knowledge on foundations and installations, operations and maintenance, the best windfarm layouts, electrical systems and cable installation; and support the commercialisation of floating offshore wind turbines for Scottish waters. OWJ


The EOWDC has secured a marine licence but much else needs to happen before it can go ahead


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