Hydro & Marine News

Friday 07 November 2008

Alex Salmond has a "very grand and very bold" vision for Scotland's renewables future, his officials say

A senior Scottish Government official has called for an "incredible" plan to deliver First Minister Alex Salmond's vision to make Scotland a "Saudi Arabia" of marine energy.

Speaking at the Scottish Renewables Marine Energy conference in Aberdeen yesterday, the Scottish Government's director general for the environment, Richard Wakeford, said that "believing in the potential for wave and tidal energy isn't enough to make it happen", and that a strategic plan is needed urgently to realise Scotland's marine energy capabilities.

He said: "Getting this delivered is going to require terrific effort. We've got great resources. We've got natural resources, we've got innovation, we've got businesses that are capable of taking risks, and we've got political determination. There's no reason why we shouldn't succeed."

"But I have to say that in Scotland, in comparison with other places, we're not so good at taking ideas and translating them into new business creation and jobs," he added.

Mr Wakeford's call came as the Scottish Government seeks views on a new Renewable Energy Framework (see this New Energy Focus story). 

While Mr Wakeford admitted that the government was responsible for many elements needed to get marine energy off the ground such as planning and licensing, he also urged the renewables industry to "join up".

"Confusing"

The official said that the renewables industry was currently populated by many overlapping schemes and elements that were not cohesive.

"Right now I'm not sure I have a sense of a what the strategic project plan looks like that will take us to being the marine Saudi Arabia of the world," he said. "I'm not sure I know who's going to do what, and when are they going to deliver it. There are lots of projects. There are lots of consortiums of projects. There are lots of interest groups."

He added: "What is each group going to do? And are they going to focus uniquely on what they can do? Will there be overlaps or will they be properly joined up? Or are we going to have a position where lots of parallel lobbies are doing the same thing? It's at this point that it gets confusing."

Lessons

Mr Wakeford also urged the marine energy industry to "learn lessons" from the deployment of wind energy and oil and gas, which have all played a major part in the Scottish economy in the past.

Two months ago, Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond described the Pentland Firth as the key to making Scotland the "Saudi Arabia of marine energy", as the Crown Estate unlocked it for commercial development of wave and tidal power (see this New Energy Focus story).

Estimates as to the Firth's marine energy potential range between 700MW and 2GW, and the Crown Estate is now accepting expressions of interest in the site.

Mr Wakeford described Mr Salmond's vision as "very grand and very bold", but said it will only be realised with significant and "incredible" foresight and cohesion.

"The fact is I think we can deliver this," he said. "But we can only deliver it if we've got an incredible plan. And if we haven't got an incredible plan, I'm going to have to go to the First Minister and explain why we haven't got an incredible plan, and I don't want to do that."