This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Renewable Realities Conference
14/10/2003
The Executive's plans to promote
marine energy in Scotland were outlined today at the
Renewable Realities Conference in Orkney.
Enterprise Minister Jim
Wallace announced proposals to establish a Marine Energy
sub-group which will be part of the newly-established Forum
for Renewable Energy Development and will consider how best
to exploit potential for wave and tidal energy.
The Executive has already invested
over £2 million in the European Marine Energy Centre, which
will be the first of its kind in the world, and is due to
open by the end of 2003.
Mr Wallace said:
"By establishing the Marine Energy
sub-group, we can work to ensure that Scotland is a world
leader in this area. Scotland certainly has the potential
to be at the heart of marine energy developments.
"The Marine Energy Centre is due to
open later this year. The Executive has committed more than
£2 million to this scheme, which will help Scotland's
entrepreneurs and experts lead the way in this innovative
field.
"The setting for today's conference,
in Orkney, is especially welcome. The islands, like much of
Scotland, are blessed with massive renewable energy
potential, and boast a long history of positive engagement
with these projects."
Mr Wallace went on to highlight the
progress made in renewable energy development since last
year's conference.
He particularly noted the
establishment of the Scottish Community and Householder
Renewables Initiative and job creation linked to the
renewables industry, saying:
"We are investing more than £5 million
to support community and household renewable energy
developments, allowing them to benefit directly from the
installation of renewables technologies.
"There have also been a number of jobs
linked to the renewables industry created in the past year,
including in Campbeltown and Lewis.
"These developments highlight the
important role that renewable energy can play in helping
create and maintain sustainable communities across
Scotland."
Scotland's Renewable Resource
commissioned by the Scottish Executive in 2001, estimates
that Scotland has a potential 14GW of wave energy and 7.5GW
of tidal power, equivalent to more than twice Scotland's
current total installed generation capacity.
Deputy Enterprise Minister Lewis
Macdonald last week announced the establishment of the
Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland, which
he will chair.
The first meeting of the Forum will
take place on October 20. The proposal to establish a
sub-group will be put to the Forum.