Monday 25 June 2012

REA welcomes Scotland’s marine renewable plans

The Scottish Government's aim to produce 100% of the country’s electricity by renewable sources by 2020 has been welcomed by the Renewable Energy Association (REA).

The aim was reinforced in a report published last week which shows the potential for wave and tidal energy in the country.

The Marine Energy Action Plan highlights Scotland's progress in the industry and outlines the necessary steps to be taken by the Government, public and private sectors for sustainable renewable energy.

However, the REA said it has concerns about the proposals of a system upgrade which determines how much generators have to pay to get their power on to the grid. The trade body said the plans risk limiting the growth of the sector.

Dr Steph Merry, REA’s Head of Marine Renewables said Ofgem, which reviews the costs for gas and electricity transmission networks, must make changes: “Ofgem must act urgently to provide a more equitable transmission charging regime for electricity generation in the Scottish Islands, where many wave and tidal projects are concentrated.

“Under current proposals, the Western Isles may be faced with a charge of £77 per kW per annum. For a 100MW project in this region, this represents an additional charge of £6.7 million each year when compared with a similar project in Wester Ross, less than 40 miles away.”