Scotland is drawing up plans to build the world's longest electricity connector - to Norway - to help meet its renewable targets and end its dependence on nuclear power. The whole project could cost more than £2bn.
Jim Mather, the Scottish Executive's energy minister, will meet his Norwegian counterpart in October to discuss the proposal.
The plan could raise the hackles of MPs already concerned about Scottish politicians' push for independence. The UK depends on Scotland for most of its oil revenues and renewable energy resource. Politicians in Westminster are worried that full Scottish independence would further undermine the security of the UK's energy supply.
Scotland is much windier than England, Wales or Northern Ireland, and also has green hydro-electric power. It has set a target of getting half its electricity from renewable sources such as wind power by 2020, compared to the UK's goal of generating about a third from renewables.
However, instead of building dirty coal plants to back up its wind farms, Scotland wants to connect to Norway's grid to solve the problem. Scotland's ruling party, the SNP, has committed not to build any new nuclear reactors.
Norway gets almost all its electricity from hydro-power, which works by releasing water from a higher reservoir into a lower reservoir via a turbine which generates electricity. The water is then pumped back up to the higher reservoir for use later. If the 1,000km (620-mile) connector between the countries is built, when Scotland is windy and has surplus electricity, it would be exported to Norway to provide power to pump the water back up into its higher reservoirs.
When the wind does not blow in Scotland and there is a shortage of power, Norway would activate its hydro-plants to make up the shortfall. This would solve the issue of wind power's intermittency, frequently cited by critics.
Scotland wants to use the connector to provide power to North Sea oil operators. Drilling rigs and platforms use about four gigawatts of electricity, equivalent to the demand from about four cities the size of Birmingham. Currently, operators use expensive and dirty diesel generators or gas to power their facilities.
Paul O'Brien, senior executive of government organisation Scottish Development International in Glasgow, said: 'Scotland has got to replace nuclear power. We realise there are issues over backing up renewables, but we don't want to use fossil fuel plants to do this. There is also a special opportunity to extend the life of the North Sea oil fields.'
Source: The Observer, Sunday, August 10, 2008 By Tim Webb
Jim Mather, the Scottish Executive's energy minister, will meet his Norwegian counterpart in October to discuss the proposal.
The plan could raise the hackles of MPs already concerned about Scottish politicians' push for independence. The UK depends on Scotland for most of its oil revenues and renewable energy resource. Politicians in Westminster are worried that full Scottish independence would further undermine the security of the UK's energy supply.
Scotland is much windier than England, Wales or Northern Ireland, and also has green hydro-electric power. It has set a target of getting half its electricity from renewable sources such as wind power by 2020, compared to the UK's goal of generating about a third from renewables.
However, instead of building dirty coal plants to back up its wind farms, Scotland wants to connect to Norway's grid to solve the problem. Scotland's ruling party, the SNP, has committed not to build any new nuclear reactors.
Norway gets almost all its electricity from hydro-power, which works by releasing water from a higher reservoir into a lower reservoir via a turbine which generates electricity. The water is then pumped back up to the higher reservoir for use later. If the 1,000km (620-mile) connector between the countries is built, when Scotland is windy and has surplus electricity, it would be exported to Norway to provide power to pump the water back up into its higher reservoirs.
When the wind does not blow in Scotland and there is a shortage of power, Norway would activate its hydro-plants to make up the shortfall. This would solve the issue of wind power's intermittency, frequently cited by critics.
Scotland wants to use the connector to provide power to North Sea oil operators. Drilling rigs and platforms use about four gigawatts of electricity, equivalent to the demand from about four cities the size of Birmingham. Currently, operators use expensive and dirty diesel generators or gas to power their facilities.
Paul O'Brien, senior executive of government organisation Scottish Development International in Glasgow, said: 'Scotland has got to replace nuclear power. We realise there are issues over backing up renewables, but we don't want to use fossil fuel plants to do this. There is also a special opportunity to extend the life of the North Sea oil fields.'
Source: The Observer, Sunday, August 10, 2008 By Tim Webb
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