Scotland’s target of generating 100% of its electricity from renewable sources is 10 years premature and the country will continue to rely on British oil and gas for the foreseeable future, a trade organisation has claimed.
In a submission to the Scottish Parliament’s economy, energy and tourism committee, Oil and Gas UK said it was “very difficult” to see how the target of 100% of electricity from renewable sources would be met by 2020 in Scotland.
It said the “principal technology” for achieving this would be wind power but Oil and Gas UK spoke of the “intermittency” of this method of generating energy.
Proponents of renewable energy in Scotland, however, say the target makes sense if viewed as for average use throughout the year. There will be times when intermittent generation means that Scotland uses conventional power from the UK grid, and other points when the country exports renewable electricity to the rest of Britain, they say.
But Oil and Gas UK said: “Scotland’s target for 100% of electricity from renewables looks more likely to be for 2030 than 2020, by which time tidal and wave power could be beginning to make a material contribution.”
At the same time, it said oil and gas from the UK continental shelf has the “potential to be a major contributor to the future security of energy supplies in both Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom”.
Oil and Gas UK added: “Meeting Scotland’s renewable electricity target poses considerable difficulties, especially within the timeframe envisaged. It is essential that the Scottish government recognises that Scotland will, for some decades to come, continue to depend upon oil and gas to meet its energy needs.”
The renewable energy sector already supports the equivalent of 11,000 full-time jobs in Scotland, according to a report.
The study, by industry body Scottish Renewables, said that as the industry was relatively new, employment in it should rise over the years. In its report, Scottish Renewables said the industry supports the equivalent of 11,136 full-time jobs.
“These numbers are expected to grow over the year ahead and beyond, as this relatively new industry continues to expand,” it added.
The report claimed renewables could be a “major source of investment” at a time of slow economic growth, adding that an expanding green energy industry could also play a “key part” in tackling youth unemployment.
It said that, with more than 20GW of renewable projects in development, the sector “has the potential to grow quickly over coming years, creating more opportunities for employment”.
It added: “At a time of slow economic growth, the sector will be a major source of investment, providing a much-needed injection of capital to drive forward the economy.
“Likewise, it will be an important source of new jobs for those leaving education and training, making the industry a key part of our response to rising youth unemployment.”
It also argued that one of the “major attractions of renewables” is that these jobs would be spread throughout the country.
“Glasgow, Fife and Edinburgh are already established as important centres for offshore wind development, Aberdeen is a major centre for offshore engineering, the Highlands and Islands are leading the development of the emerging wave and tidal sector and bio-energy is providing jobs across rural Scotland,” the report said.
The sector directly supports the equivalent of 10,227 full-time jobs in project design, development, operation and the supply chain. There are 757 posts in renewable energy development and research in colleges and universities, and a further 152 people work in renewables in the public sector, according to Scottish Renewables. Onshore wind is the largest employer by generation type, the report said.