GLASGOW, Scotland, February 28, 2007.
Wind energy capacity has increased 67% in the past 12 months in Scotland, according to the annual review by Scottish Renewables, the trade association for Scotland’s renewable energy industry.
The Scottish Executive’s target of 18% by 2010 will be met three years early, thanks to the fast installation of wind turbines, the group explains in ‘Wind Energy 2007.’ The Scottish Executive’s target of 40% by 2020 could be met by 2015 if there is strong political support.
Slow determination times have undermined effort to create a secure market for onshore wind in Scotland, it warns, and new planning policy will put the targets at risk as the planning regime becomes more difficult.
In 2003, the Scottish Executive set targets for renewables to deliver 18% of Scotland’s electricity by 2010 and 40% by 2020. “The renewable energy industry and, in particular, the onshore wind sector, took up this challenge with enthusiasm,” the report explains.
By the end of last year, the installed onshore wind capacity has reached 939 MW from 643 turbines, up 67% from the same time last year. The onshore wind industry in Scotland will surpass the 1 GW threshold this year and, by the end of 2007, Scottish Renewables expects that 1,200 MW of turbines will be operating.
This level of deployment would meet 9% of Scotland’s electricity needs and displace the annual emission of 0.7 Mt of carbon, 25% of the Scottish Executive’s target under the climate change program.
“The strong growth of the onshore wind sector, more hydro and the deployment of emerging technologies like wave, tidal and dedicated biomass, could mean that by 2010, around a third of Scotland’s electricity needs would be met by renewables,” it notes. The potential for growth in hydroelectric generation is currently limited but “this prognosis may improve, and fledgling technologies are only taking their first tentative steps, so it is clear that onshore wind will need to grow if Scotland is to do what it can to help fight climate change.”
Delivery from renewables “can only happen if political support continues for commercial technologies like onshore wind and hydro,” the report warns. “The Scottish Executive has indicated that the 40% target will be met by 2015 at the latest, however, there remain two significant risks - the national grid and planning - and both can undermine this effort.”
By May, Scotland will enact a new planning policy for renewables called ‘Scottish Planning Policy Six’ that will provide “clear and supportive guidance for renewable energy but is, in effect, a planning document for onshore wind,” the report explains. “It makes positive statements about the growth of renewables and expects the 40% target to be met within the lifetime of the plan; however, the detail of the policy does not provide the clear guidance offered by its predecessor.”
“A difficult planning regime is about to get more difficult, more projects will be going to Public Inquiry and, given that most of the projects that will be built in Scotland are now in the public domain, the policy is now viewed as a barrier rather than an enabler of projects,” it warns. “The result could well be missed targets.”
“This new planning policy might be understandable if onshore wind was unpopular in Scotland; however, poll after poll, all from independent researchers, demonstrates the continuing popularity of wind,” it notes. “Scots know that onshore windfarms can help in the fight against climate change and, counter to what a small minority of protestors will tell you, do not pose a threat to the way of life in Scotland.”
The Scottish Executive is considering applications for 60 projects that could provide 7,800 MW of installed wind capacity, which represents 40% of all onshore wind projects in development, and 86% by installed capacity. The majority are yet to be determined and 14 projects have waited more than two years for a decision.
“Scottish Renewables recognises that these are often complex projects and that not all fault lies with the Scottish Executive; however, as the guardian of the process, there should be recognition that lengthy determination periods do no-one any favours,” it adds. “The onshore wind industry has called on the Scottish Executive to do more to facilitate a more efficient process, especially by investing more resources in their own management of the s36 process and in providing extra resources to statutory consultees, like Scottish Natural Heritage. In doing so it would provide a strong steer to potential inward investors who may consider locating parts of the supply chain in Scotland but will not do so until they get a clear idea of the size of the Scottish and UK markets.”
“Delaying or preventing the deployment of good renewable energy projects will threaten Scotland’s drive to deliver significant cuts in carbon emissions by 2010 and beyond; will send a negative message to potential investors in renewables that Scotland is not a good place to do business (despite having an excellent resource) and will hamper efforts to diversify the generation portfolio and therefore the need to secure the supply of electricity,” it concludes. “Considering the potential of offshore wind in Scottish waters, and the competitive advantage provided by Scotland’s world class oil and gas industry, there are future and significant economic gains to be had in developing this sector.”
