Renewable Energy

Energy resources of Scotland

Stephen Richard — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 11:47:58 +0000

Energy resources of Scotland Stephen Richard Mon, 10/18/2021 - 12:47

Author or Creator

Common Weal

Scotland is blessed with remarkable renewable energy resources but has cold winters, a lot of inefficient housing, a very high reliance on gas heating and a particular reliance on transport. We need to tackle all of these. The hardest is heating – there is simply no easy solution to weaning ourselves off natural gas. Alternatives which use the same infrastructure (like hydrogen) are very expensive and alternatives like electric heating (also comparatively expensive) would require enormous amounts of work to replace existing household heating systems and would require a very big investment in both more electricity generation and the electricity grid. There is no quick, easy way to do this and retrofitting renewable heating (like Heat Pumps) to most existing houses isn’t realistic. So if we’re going to have to make a massive investment, let’s get it right.

The first step is that we must make our houses much more efficient so we don’t need to heat them so much in the first place, so a major programme of insulating and draft-proofing houses is the first step. Then we need to put in place a heating system which will last for many generations, is clean and efficient and inexpensive for households. The best option is a ‘district heating’ system, where heat is generated in lots of different ways (all renewable), collected in a heat store and then distributed to houses as they need it via a network of pipes. Households just need to switch their existing boilers for heat exchangers and the rest of their heating system should work as is. Make no mistake, this is a truly immense engineering project, but so is anything that heats our homes without feeding a climate emergency.

Electricity is more straightforward in Scotland because of our renewable resources – but we’re going to need more of it. To meet future demand and produce enough spare energy to ensure energy security we will need to double the amount of currently-installed renewable generation and put a lot of energy storage in place. But that’s not enough because if we also want to move to clean transport we’ll need more electricity again – in total about three times what we currently have. Thankfully this can all be achieved with onshore and offshore wind in Scotland, leaving our marine energy resources for other purposes. And if we do it right we can take not only all this new energy into public ownership but the existing energy as well – so we control our own energy system.

Which leaves transport. This too is a massive task – we need to replace the entire fleet of petroleum-based transport. It is almost certain the way to do this is to move to electric battery-power for smaller vehicles like cars and vans and to hydrogen for big vehicles like lorries and ferries. But to achieve that we’ll also need all that extra electricity, a source of clean hydrogen and major investment in charging and refuelling infrastructure.

So where do we get our clean hydrogen from? This is where Scotland’s marine energy comes in. At the moment almost all commercial hydrogen produces carbon dioxide, not when it is used but when it is created in the first place by breaking down natural gas. Clean hydrogen is made with electricity and water – but it needs a lot of electricity. Thankfully Scotland has massive wave and tidal energy opportunities and these can be used to make hydrogen for vehicle transport. Even more than that, it can give Scotland a world lead in hydrogen technology and because we have much more marine energy than we need for domestic transport it is also potentially an amazing export opportunity.

Keywords

Pioneering North Sea renewables project unveiled at COP 26

Stephen Richard — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 16:11:35 +0000

Pioneering North Sea renewables project unveiled at COP 26

Primary Author or Creator

Believe in Scotland

Stephen Richard Mon, 11/15/2021 - 16:11

Alternative Published Date

2021

Category

Renewable energy

Type of Resource

Article

Fast Facts

Offshore wind resources in the North Sea will create thousands of jobs and boost Scotland ‘s ambitions to be a world leader in renewable energy through a plan unveiled at COP 26 in Glasgow.

More details

Offshore wind resources in the North Sea will create thousands of jobs and boost Scotland ‘s ambitions to be a world leader in renewable energy through a plan unveiled at COP 26 in Glasgow.

The Northern Horizons Project will use floating offshore wind turbines to produce green hydrogen which could fuel vehicles or be used in fuel cells to generate electricity during times of the day when the wind resource is low.

Norway’s Aker Offshore Wind, Aker Clean Hydrogen and DNV, consultants who are leading experts in the transition to a hydrogen-based economy, are behind the project, which they say is ‘’a technically and economically feasible plan’’.

It is described as a ‘’response to the Scottish government’s stated ambition to develop Scotland’s potential to export significant quantities of hydrogen’’.

The government is targeting 5GW of hydrogen production by 2030 and is actively looking for international collaboration in the development of a shared hydrogen economy.

This project could start production from 2030 and will ‘’create thousands of jobs and the investment of billions of pounds during construction and operation’’.

Sian Lloyd-Rees, managing director of Aker Offshore Wind UK, said: “This is a technically and economically feasible plan to deliver floating offshore wind at the scale needed to deliver clean energy products which can be used to help decarbonize fuel-heavy industries such as shipping and aviation.”I am proud that DNV has worked on this project that really does show a profitable business opportunity whilst contributing greatly to net zero targets

Ditlev Engel, CEO of Energy Systems at DNV, said: “To meet the targets of the Paris Agreement, the world needs to transition faster to a deeply decarbonized energy system.

“I am proud that DNV has worked on this project that really does show a profitable business opportunity creating economic growth and new job opportunities, whilst contributing greatly to the UK’s net zero targets.”

The project will use floating offshore wind turbines to produce 10GW of energy to power multiple floating installations which will produce green hydrogen which will be transmitted to a net zero hydrogen refinery on Shetland.

Some observers have said COP 26 has seen more announcements that expected on agreements to reduce carbon emissions. Pete Betts, the former EU lead negotiator on climate change, told the BBC: ‘’The mood of the conference is good. The trend towards a zero-carbon world is irreversible. The question is when we get there, and what the climate will be like by then.”

Greta Thunberg: COP 26 ”greenwashing”

Not everyone is as optimistic. Prominent climate change campaigner Greta Thunberg walked out of a panel discussion with former governor of the Bank of England and UN climate envoy Mark Carney shouting “this is greenwashing” .

She has denounced the COP26 summit in Glasgow for being the ‘most excluding COP ever’ and called the international conference a ‘greenwash festival’.

Resource Address (URL)

https://www.believeinscotland.org/pioneering-north-sea-renewables-project-unvei…

Keywords

Renewable Energy

COP26

Language English

Scottish independence: could wind power Scotland back into the EU?

Stephen Richard — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 18:29:35 +0000

Scottish independence: could wind power Scotland back into the EU?

Primary Author or Creator

Piotr Marek Jaworski

Stephen Richard Tue, 10/12/2021 - 19:29

Additional Author(s) / Creators

Kenny Crossan, The Conversation

Date Published

Fri, 03/26/2021 - 12:00

Category

Green economy

Independence

Type of Resource

News Media

Fast Facts

Scotland’s competitive advantage in green energy ought to be an important part of the economic case for independence when the second referendum takes place.

Resource Address (URL)

https://theconversation.com/scottish-independence-could-wind-power-scotland-bac…

Keywords

Renewable Energy

Green Economy

Independence referendum

Language English

How Scottish independence could re-ignite the north-east energy sector. Open minds on independence #17

Stephen Richard — Sun, 10 Oct 2021 10:06:11 +0000

How Scottish independence could re-ignite the north-east energy sector. Open minds on independence #17

Primary Author or Creator

The National

Stephen Richard Sun, 10/10/2021 - 11:06

Additional Author(s) / Creators

Believe in Scotland

Date Published

Sat, 04/10/2021 - 12:00

Category

Energy

Type of Resource

News Media

Fast Facts

With independence, Scotland could manage a just transition from economic dependence on fossil fuels. And take our rightful place at the heart of developing renewables to power the world.

Resource Address (URL)

https://www.thenational.scot/news/19223626.scottish-independence-re-ignite-nort…

Keywords

Renewable Energy

Energy policy

Language English

The key to powering an independent Scotland’s future. Open minds on indepencence #16

Stephen Richard — Sun, 10 Oct 2021 09:59:06 +0000

The key to powering an independent Scotland’s future. Open minds on indepencence #16

Primary Author or Creator

The National

Stephen Richard Sun, 10/10/2021 - 10:59

Additional Author(s) / Creators

Believe in Scotland

Date Published

Fri, 04/06/2012 - 12:00

Category

Renewable energy

Type of Resource

News Media

Fast Facts

Renewable energy holds the key to powering Scotland’s future. Our country is so richly blessed with prized natural resources. It is well-placed to become a key player in the sector.

Resource Address (URL)

https://www.thenational.scot/news/19214026.key-powering-independent-scotlands-f…

Keywords

Renewable Energy

Electricity

Language English

Energy-food nexus in the marine environment: A macroeconomic analysis on offshore wind energy and seafood production in Scotland

Stephen Richard — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 10:56:26 +0000

Energy-food nexus in the marine environment: A macroeconomic analysis on offshore wind energy and seafood production in Scotland

Primary Author or Creator

Yang Qu

Stephen Richard Mon, 09/27/2021 - 11:56

Additional Author(s) / Creators

Tara Hoopera, J. Kim Swales, Eleni Papathanasopoulou, Melanie C. Austen, Xiaoyu Yan

Alternative Published Date

February 2021

Category

Energy

Food production

Type of Resource

Academic Paper

Fast Facts

Low-cost offshore wind farms (OWFs) would increase both energy security and GDP.

Subsidising the high-cost OWFs would benefit energy security but not the economy.

Limited negative impacts on seafood sectors by the OWF expansion were identified .

More details

The rapid development of offshore wind farms (OWFs) has stimulated debate about its overall socioeconomic impacts. Expanding the scale of OWFs increases the availability and affordability of electricity but could displace existing fishing activities and reduce food supply. To evaluate these impacts from a macroeconomic perspective, a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model is developed, using Scotland as a case study. A particular focus is placed on the disaggregated electricity and seafood sectors, their interconnectedness from an energy-food nexus perspective, and the distributional effects across household groups. This paper explores, from macroeconomic perspective, the trade-offs in the energy-food nexus between expanding OWFs and the seafood sectors, together with the impacts on food and energy security. The results suggest that, through economic linkages, increasing the number of OWFs would have a negative, but limited, effect on seafood production sectors. However, the falling cost of electricity from OWFs would have a positive impact on the economy overall and benefit lower income households, contributing to a reduction in fuel poverty. The model results raise the awareness of nexus linkages between OWFs and seafood production and are applicable to policies involving the development of other offshore renewables.

Energy Policy Volume 149, February 2021, 112027 Paywall

Resource Address (URL)

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301421520307382

Keywords

Offshore wind

Renewable Energy

Food production

Language English

Get the future of energy right

Stephen Richard — Tue, 14 Sep 2021 08:42:06 +0000

Get the future of energy right

Primary Author or Creator

Common Weal

Stephen Richard Tue, 09/14/2021 - 09:42

Alternative Published Date

2020

Category

Energy

Type of Resource

Video

Length (Pages, words, minutes etc...)

1:35 minutes

Fast Facts

Energy – electricity, heating and transport fuel – is crucial for the modern Scotland we live in. But it can also be one of our biggest threats if we don’t get them right. It can harm our environment and play a major role in causing the climate crisis. ‘Energy inequality’ can harm the health of those who can’t afford to heat their homes. Scotland is one of the few countries in Europe which does not own its energy publicly and the only one that doesn’t own its own National Grid.

Video 1:35 minutes

More details

Common Weal has published too much work on energy to link to all of it here (three key documents are Powering Our Ambitions, Just Warmth and Carbon-Free, Poverty-Free). But most of it is summarised in the Common Home Plan with sections on energy efficiency, electricity, heating and transport

So what is the vision? Scotland is blessed with remarkable renewable energy resources but has cold winters, a lot of inefficient housing, a very high reliance on gas heating and a particular reliance on transport. We need to tackle all of these. The hardest is heating – there is simply no easy solution to weaning ourselves off natural gas. Alternatives which use the same infrastructure (like hydrogen) are very expensive and alternatives like electric heating (also comparatively expensive) would require enormous amounts of work to replace existing household heating systems and would require a very big investment in both more electricity generation and the electricity grid. There is no quick, easy way to do this and retrofitting renewable heating (like Heat Pumps) to most existing houses isn’t realistic. So if we’re going to have to make a massive investment, let’s get it right.

There is no simple solution to our need to clean up our energy, but great opportunities if we do. All that investment creates lots and lots of jobs and economic opportunities in supply chains – but only if we do it right. That’s why we need a proper structure for doing all of this collectively, from the public purse and in the public interest. A National Housing Company can plan and deliver home insulation, a Scottish Energy Development Agency can plan and manage this entire transition and a Scottish National Energy Company can deliver the work and then own our energy system on the public’s behalf.

Resource Address (URL)

https://commonweal.scot/big-ideas/get-the-future-of-energy-right/

Keywords

Language English

Incentives and Opportunities Signalled by Transmission Charges in Scotland

Stephen Richard — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 07:46:17 +0000

Incentives and Opportunities Signalled by Transmission Charges in Scotland

Primary Author or Creator

Iain Wright

Stephen Richard Tue, 09/07/2021 - 08:46

Additional Author(s) / Creators

Common Weal

Date Published

Fri, 08/03/2018 - 12:00

Category

Energy

Type of Resource

Policy Paper

Fast Facts

Scotland is not well served by the UK’s National Grid and the current system restricts the development of Scotland’s renewable energy potential and leads to high charges for Scottish consumers.

More details

― The UK’s National Grid has been designed for an era where the fuel for power plants (chiefly coal and gas) could be transported more efficiently than the generated electricity. This has lead to a system of charging where power stations are incentivised to build close to major population centres such as the South East of England. In numerical terms, energy providers are charged a tariff of around £24/kW to connect a wind generator to the National Grid if the generator is installed in the North of Scotland. However, if the same generator is installed in West Devon and Cornwall, the provider would receive a subsidy of £4.79/kW.

― As renewable generators such as wind turbines must be built where the wind is at its highest power density and as their “fuel” cannot be moved in the way that coal and gas can, the current grid charging system makes no sense for the purposes of encouraging the development of Scotland’s renewable energy potential.

― The grid’s charging system takes no notice of the location of the end-users of the generated power. An energy customer in Scotland must pay the same price for power regardless of whether or not the power they are using is being generated elsewhere in the UK or by a wind turbine nearby.

―High energy intensity users such as aluminium smelters, chemical manufacturers and data centres have little incentive to build renewable generators on-site in order to reduce their energy costs.

― The paper therefore makes the case that the UK’s energy grid is reformed so that it better reflects the energy technology and economic needs of the 21st century. Tariffs should be re-calculated to better encourage the placement of renewable generators in areas where they can operate most efficiently and incentives should be developed to allow industries and communities to benefit from the renewable generators build either by them or on their doorsteps.

Resource Address (URL)

https://commonweal.scot/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Transmission-Charges.pdf

Keywords

National Grid

Renewable Energy

Wind power

Language English

Energy Strategy Consultation: Common Weal submission

Stephen Richard — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 13:11:24 +0000

Energy Strategy Consultation: Common Weal submission

Primary Author or Creator

Susan Brush

Stephen Richard Wed, 09/01/2021 - 14:11

Additional Author(s) / Creators

Iain Wright, Gordon Morgan, Common Weal

Alternative Published Date

2017

Category

Energy

Type of Resource

Policy Paper

Fast Facts

This paper

― Recognises the huge economic contribution North Sea Oil and Gas have made to the Scottish economy

― Urges the Scottish Government to add a “just and fair transition” of jobs to the low carbon economy as a priority, and to seek alternative sectors using the skills base and domestic supply chains we have. Alternative sectors are likely to include offshore renewable generation and on-land infrastructure (e.g. district heating, for which we currently import the pipework) as well as decommissioning mature oil wells.

― Has concerns regards the primacy given to the development and commercialisation of CCS, and has questions regards its technical feasibility and cost effectiveness and the implication that fossil fuel plants could be retained longer than necessary. Nevertheless we welcome the EU funding of the Acorn project to test the feasibility of CCS at Peterhead

― Support, in principle, exploration of new non-fossil fuel energy sources, provided they come with safeguards of environmental protection, take cognisance of public opinion, especially of communities affected (both local and communities of interest), and a fair settlement is agreed with local communities.

― Has a specific concern about unconventional oil and gas which includes not only environmental matters and strong public opposition, but the licensing arrangements: that licenses are currently sold by Crown Estates, with no input at a local or Scottish level other than within the Planning process.

― Strongly supports exploration of alternative energy carriers, such as hydrogen.

― Supports the priority of increasing renewable generation.

― Views that the fifth priority, “increasing the flexibility, efficiency and resilience of a future energy system”, as fundamentally essential to underpin whatever future energy system we will have. This matter is complex and merits far greater discussion and we have addressed it at greater length below.

More details

Common Weal warmly welcomes publication of this draft energy strategy and its “Whole System View” that includes both short and longer term targets and visions.

We also welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to honouring climate change targets, showing Scotland is indeed playing a leading and responsible role in the world.

We welcome the quality of public discussion generated by the consultation and we are pleased to take the opportunity to respond to it.

Common Weal fully supports the principles set out in this strategy and agrees with the policy objectives it contains. However we would like to see the intended “Whole System View” adopt a greater degree of integration between energy and industrial development, for example, the creation of demand by energy-intensive users closer to production in northern Scotland. Finding ways to achieve this would reduce the need for the further investment in costly transmission infrastructure that will further drive up the cost of grid connections.

Transformation of the energy system is essential if Scotland is to meet its environmental objectives, so this draft energy strategy is to be commended in addressing the need to look beyond renewable electricity production and towards decarbonisation of transport and heating. In adopting an all-energy approach to strategy development, we believe the Scottish Government is following a path that is most likely to deliver the desired outcomes. In particular, we support an approach that avoids mandating a particular technology mix for energy production, as the strategy has a significant dependency on solutions that are not yet proven at scale. However this was also true of wind generation 15 or 20 years ago and there is no reason to suppose that new energy technologies will not similarly benefit from a supportive energy policy environment.

Common Weal is concerned that the UK Government has placed obstacles in the path of the Scottish Government achieving its carbon free objectives. These range from:

• The privatisation of the energy market in the 1980s which resulted for a long time in a lack of investment in grid infrastructure; • The fact that Energy Policy is a reserved power under the devolution settlement; • The short-sighted changes in energy policy and subsidies;

• The ban on on-shore wind development in England;

• The decision to proceed with the ludicrously expensive Hinkley Point C and other nuclear reactors;

• The lack of flexibility in the charging regime for grid connections which inhibit new Scottish generation in favour of the South of England.

Common Weal believes that these and more of the potential conflicts with the UK Government should be delineated in the strategy so as to make the case for full devolution of energy policy and or Scottish Independence. Indeed we have concerns that unless this is addressed, the ambitious goals set out cannot be achieved.

Nevertheless, Common Weal welcomes the priorities set out in the paper in particular the desire to transform the energy system to one based on carbon free energy and to encourage research and deployment of new sources of energy.

We strongly support the establishment of a Scottish Energy Company which can support local energy cooperatives and smaller public energy companies and provide a level playing field for energy pricing and investment. This should be backed by Energy Bonds and a public investment bank. Indeed if the model for the public energy company was the Danish Energy Agency, which administers energy and supply in Denmark, many of the problems associated with a privatised energy market could be addressed.

Energy is essential for social existence and Scotland is fortunate to have abundant natural resources of wind, wave, tidal, solar, hydro and geothermal to produce this carbon free energy. The challenge is to make it available to all whilst ensuring jobs, social inclusion and democratic control.

Q1 What are your views on the priorities presented in this chapter for energy supply over the coming decades? In answering, please consider whether the priorities are the right ones for delivering our vision. Common Weal wishes to make the following points as regards the priorities listed before addressing other priorities of a more general nature.

Common Weal:

• Recognises the huge economic contribution North Sea Oil and Gas have made to the Scottish economy;

• Urges the Scottish Government to add a “just and fair transition” of jobs to the low carbon economy as a priority, and to seek alternative sectors using the skills base and domestic supply chains we have. Alternative sectors are likely to include offshore renewable generation and on-land infrastructure (e.g. district heating, for which we currently import the pipework) as well as decommissioning mature oil wells;

• Has concerns regards the primacy given to the development and commercialisation of CCS, and has questions regards its technical feasibility and cost effectiveness and the implication that fossil fuel plants could be retained longer than necessary. Nevertheless we welcome the EU funding of the Acorn project to test the feasibility of CCS at Peterhead;

• Support, in principle, exploration of new non-fossil fuel energy sources, provided they come with safeguards of environmental protection, take cognisance of public opinion, especially of communities affected (both local and communities of interest), and a fair settlement is agreed with local communities.

• Has a specific concern about unconventional oil and gas which includes not only environmental matters and strong public opposition, but the licensing arrangements: that licenses are currently sold by Crown Estates, with no input at a local or Scottish level other than within the Planning process.

• Strongly supports exploration of alternative energy carriers, such as hydrogen;

• Supports the priority of increasing renewable generation; • Views that the fifth priority, “increasing the flexibility, efficiency and resilience of a future energy system”, as fundamentally essential to underpin whatever future energy system we will have. This matter is complex and merits far greater discussion and we have addressed it at greater length below;

• Sees Scotland as a potential net energy exporter, but would prioritise meeting Scotland’s own energy and economic needs over large-scale exports. Common Weal wishes to make the following observations about more general priorities.

Integration of Industrial Strategy

The consultation recognises the importance of ensuring security of supply and this would be our overriding priority in the process of delivering the level of transformational change to Scotland’s energy system that this consultation envisages. However, we believe that the value of such an ambitious strategy would be enhanced by a greater emphasis on how a comprehensive energy policy can be used to support wider economic objectives.

Common Weal’s vision for future would include locating energy-intensive industries that can utilise energy with variable output, close to generation sites; allowing supply by direct line from the generator, avoiding the need for a gridconnection, or for a carrier fuel.

So we believe that exploitation of energy resources, of all kinds, should be managed in the context of an industrial policy that seeks to develop energy-intensive industries, such as ammonia/hydrogen production, in a way that avoids incurring Transmission Charges wherever possible. Currently these frequently make the difference between a proposed scheme being viable and not.

This industrialisation strategy is one that has been pursued by Iceland; developing aluminium production and renewable energy resources in tandem. While there are significant differences between a dispatchable, geothermal/hydro-based system and the variable output/distributed generation system in Scotland/GB, the overarching principal of exploiting resource availability to leverage economic development should be the same. Whilst heat generation and storage can take up some of load as per Iceland, the only differences being the likely need for a carrier fuel/ substantive storage in Scotland, to redistribute energy over time.

Resource Address (URL)

https://commonweal.scot/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Energy-Strategy-Consultation…

Keywords

Language English

Renewables Scotland 2030: A discussion paper on how to transform Scotland’s energy sector by 2030

Stephen Richard — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 12:33:48 +0000

Renewables Scotland 2030: A discussion paper on how to transform Scotland’s energy sector by 2030

Primary Author or Creator

Craig Berry

Stephen Richard Wed, 09/01/2021 - 13:33

Additional Author(s) / Creators

Common Weal

Alternative Published Date

February 2018

Category

Energy

Type of Resource

Policy Paper

Fast Facts

― UK energy policy since 1980 has failed Scotland. It has led to the six largest energy companies seeing profit margins rise 4.48% since 2016, with 34.9% of households in Scotland currently facing fuel poverty.

― The Scottish Government should invest in energy infrastructure and electric vehicles to meet 75% of overall energy demand by 2030.

Energy Infrastructure

― Scotland has only captured 0.06% of marine energy potential. The Scottish Government should boost R&D in wave and tidal technology, with an aim to capture 25% of marine energy resource by 2030.

― Scotland is on track to meet 100% of electricity demand by 2020. The Scottish Government should look to invest in grid modernisation and energy storage to increase efficiency and decrease costs to consumers.

― The Scottish Government should create a not-for-profit energy company with municipal control, led by a Scottish Energy Agency.

― The Scottish Energy Agency should work with the NorthConnect project to provide Scotland with a route to export its additional renewable resource to mainland Europe.

― Create a National Battery Technology Innovation Centre to drive investment in new innovative battery technology, working with universities.

Electric Vehicles

― Low Emission Zones should create a strategy to slowly increase the level of emissions banned as we move towards a full ban of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030.

― Create an electric vehicle strategy which increases focus on access to electric vehicles, with an aim to have electric vehicles meet 50% of the car market share.

― Increasing electric vehicle energy use would see an average energy demand increase by 3.82GW.

― Invest £82m in additional funding to build up Scotland’s charging infrastructure, with an aim to see five charging stations for every 1,000 electric vehicle drivers.

Autonomous Distribution

― Autonomous vehicles require testing trails in Scotland to have a greater understanding of the market. £19m would be required for testing cars in rural and urban areas, but tests would also be required for shipping and platooning.

― Agricultural technology requires £20m in R&D investment to boost the technology with an aim to implement autonomous testing.

― To meet the legal and ethical guidelines for autonomous vehicles a Connected Autonomous Vehicle Centre is required.

Renewable Shipping

― 15 of the 33 ferries in the Caledonian MacBrayne fleet have an operational profile that makes electric (eight) and hybrid (seven) ferries profitable, with three already run on hybrid technology and two soon to come into service.

― £62m in additional investment is required to meet the green ferry demand by 2030. £121m would be saved in operation costs over a 10 year period, with a return in 5.5 years.

― All ferry services run by Caledonian MacBrayne should be run on electric or hybrid vessels by 2030 with an additional 0.0025GW added to the energy demand.

― Create a Carbon Fund wherein the business sector commits to achieving certain emission reductions through payments to an environmental fund, and these are then fed back to industry actors as investment support for additional costs incurred in enacting measures to reduce emissions.

― Additional strategies in defence, broadband, housing and fishing are required to enhance the efficiency of Scotland’s energy policy.

More details

Scotland's capability to implement energy policy is currently hindered and as such is unable to realise its potential as a powerhouse of renewable energy without a radical shift in the UK Government’s approach to energy.

The existing energy policy implemented by the UK Government has proven not to be fit for purpose. It has provided a market led, privatised monopoly which has left a significant number of citizens in fuel poverty.

The Scottish Government, over the past number of years has been more proactive, in spite of the limitations of its control. This has encouraged the safeguarding of important landscapes, and directed investment towards green technology. However, limited access to power means successes have also been limited.

By adopting a more collectivist attitude toward energy where necessary and breaking away from the policy regime of the UK Government, Scotland can then invest in the strategic planning and public ownership which has seen success in neighbouring countries.

The structures of the new national energy company may be able to reduce costs for consumers once it is created. However, this energy company will currently have to work within the confines of the UK national energy strategy.

The Scottish Government would have the ability to enact many of the policies put forward throughout this paper under devolution, but a key constraint on a truly transformative policy is the limited fiscal powers devolved to Holyrood (especially borrowing powers), which requires further devolution which encroaches beyond energy policy. The limitations of a UK privately-run energy grid would also act as a limiting factor on the proposals proposed above.

The more powers that the Scottish Parliament can gain – up to and including independence - the better equipped Scotland will be to develop a fully-fledged bespoke energy strategy.

Resource Address (URL)

https://commonweal.scot/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Renewables-Scotland-2030.pdf

Keywords

Language English