Dec 29 - Herald, The; Glasgow (UK)

Major early interest in a multimillion pound innovation prize will propel Scotland to the forefront of world energy research, the First Minister said yesterday.

Alex Salmond predicted that a surge in competition for the GBP10m Saltire Prize, unveiled earlier this month, would ensure Scotland attracted leading pioneers in green technology.

The one-off award, the world's largest grant for innovation in marine renewable energy research, has already drawn 33 entrants from five continents, it was revealed yesterday.

Scottish Government planners are confident that the winners will help the country achieve its target of meeting half of all electricity demand from renewable sources by 2020, with an interim target of 31per cent set for 2011.

The First Minister said: "Next year promises to be a year of challenge, but also one of great opportunity for Scotland. A focus on Scottish scientific advance and achievement will help point the way to a successful future for innovation.

"Nowhere is this more true than in renewable energy, especially with the world's biggest ever marine renewable competition - our GBP10 million Saltire Prize.

"Since we unveiled the details of the Saltire Prize Challenge at the beginning of December, 33 declarations of interest have been registered from some of the great companies and best minds in the world - all seeking to come and develop their new energy devices and inventions here in Scotland."

Entrants have come from America, Australia, South Africa, India and Mexico, along with a number of proposals from Scotland and the rest of the UK. Also in the running are projects from Italy, France, Norway and Spain.

Mr Salmond said: "These past 12 months have been a great period for Scottish renewables, putting us well on track to exceed our target of 31per cent of electricity demand from renewables by 2011. We have approved 17 renewables projects totalling 1.5 Gigawatts of capacity since May 2007. In just over 18 months, we have determined more energy applications than over the whole of the previous four years."

Total installed capacity of renewables in Scotland is currently over three Gigawatts, but when projects under development are added the capacity rises to more than 5.5 Gigawatts. Renewable electricity generation exceeded 20per cent of total demand in 2007, with figures for 2008 due soon.

The GBP10m award will go to the team that can best demonstrate, in Scottish waters, "a commercially viable wave or tidal energy technology that achieves a minimum electrical output of 100GWh over a continuous two-year period using only the power of the sea".

The Saltire Prize and has drawn endorsement from a number of figures across scientific and environmental organisations.

James Lovelock, originator of the Gaia Hypothesis - now known as the Gaia Theory - said: "Scotland is right to look to the oceans for its long term energy source. Necessity is the mother of invention and the Saltire Prize will make the best idea practical."

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Originally published by Newsquest Media Group.

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