Renewables

Scotland is particularly well placed to take advantage of the effort being made to increase the proportion of energy generated by renewable energy sources.

The country has some of the strongest tidal surges in Europe. The Pentland Firth is said to produce enough energy with each tidal surge to power the whole of Europe. Trial installations are being tested. Parallel efforts are also being made with wave power generation.

The Crown Estates have now issued licences for offshore wind farms around the UK. One large farm planned is in the Moray Firth and another near Aberdeen. The UK with its experience of developing and supporting the North Sea oil field developments stands particularly well placed to support some of the necessary infrastructure manufacture. Various fabrication yards are being reviewed with a view to being geared up to produce the windmills, their turbines and their bases. Denmark, Norway, Germany, Humberside, and Teeside also feature in the complex web of players and alignments, and Iberian expertise from Spain and Portugal is also evident.

Scotland still has a strong presence in hydroelectric power, with the recent Glendoe development being significant, and also some substantial expertise in nuclear power remains at Dounreay.

Various government and industry organisations are configuring themsleves to better able to respond to the opportunities and challenges that all this activity represents.

Northpoint stands ready to support significant developments.