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Renewable energy output at record levels
28/06/2012
Energy Minister Fergus Ewing has welcomed new figures that show output from renewables in quarter one 2012 increased by 45.5 per cent on the same period the year before.
Provisional figures from the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC) show that renewable electricity generation in Scotland was 4,590 gigawatt hours (GWh) in the first quarter of 2012, up 1,435 GWh on Q1 2011.
The provisional figures also show an increase of 9.8 per cent or 435 megawatts (MW) in installed renewables electricity capacity in Scotland in Q1 2012 compared to Q1 2011.
DECC also today issued revised statistics for 2011 which show that renewable electricity generation in Scotland was 13,735 GWh in 2011, a record high level, up 44.3 per cent on 2010, and up 97.3 per cent on 2006.
The revised 2011 figures continue to show good progress towards the Scottish Government’s 2020 target of the equivalent of 100 per cent of electricity demand coming from renewables.
Assuming gross consumption in 2011 was similar to 2010, that means around 35 per cent of Scotland’s electricity needs came from renewables in 2011, beating the Scottish Government’s interim target of 31 per cent.
Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said:
“These figures show that renewable energy generation in Scotland is going from strength to strength.
“The increase of 45.5 per cent in renewable output in quarter one 2012 compared to quarter one 2011 is particularly encouraging when you consider that 2011 saw the highest output from renewable energy to date.
“We are seeing great progress towards our goal of generating the equivalent of 100 per cent of Scotland’s electricity needs from renewables by 2020.
“Scotland has astounding renewable energy potential, and the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring every community in Scotland benefits from the opportunities of renewable energy.
“Projects representing £750 million of investment were switched on in 2011, with an investment pipeline of £46 billion. Industry figures show 11,000 people are employed in renewables in Scotland already, a figure which is set to grow. And since the turn of the year, we have seen Gamesa invest in Leith creating around 800 new jobs, the Green Investment Bank being headquartered in Edinburgh and Samsung Heavy Industries announcing it will base its £100 million European offshore wind project in Methil, creating up to 500 jobs. Renewable energy is already delivering jobs, investment and opportunities for the people of Scotland.
“Scotland is a genuine world leader in green energy and our targets reflect the scale of our natural resources, the strength of our energy capabilities and the value we place on creating new, sustainable industries.”
Background
The Scottish Government’s target is to meet the equivalent of 100 per cent of gross annual electricity demand from renewables by 2020.
Summary of recent energy investment:
- Recent DECC figures show that £1.7 billion of new renewables projects were completed in Scotland in FY 2011/12, creating over 4,400 jobs, and Scotland’s renewables sector has a higher level of projected investment (£8 billion) and jobs pipeline (3313) than any other part of the UK.
- A Scottish Renewables report of 27 March 2012 suggests that renewable energy now supports over 11,000 jobs in Scotland.
- 23 March 2012 - “Gamesa chooses Leith over Hartlepool”, with around 800 new jobs being created at the Port of Leith, with investment of up to 150 million euros.
- 8 March 2012 - Green Investment Bank, capitalised with £3 billion, is to be headquartered in Edinburgh.
- 9 Feb 2012 – Glasgow based wind turbine manufacturer Gaia-Wind secured a £5 million deal to supply farm-scale turbines south of the border.
- 31 Jan 2012 - Samsung Heavy Industries announced it will base its first European offshore wind project in Methil. More than 500 jobs could be created in Fife through this £100m project.
- 24 Jan 2012 - grid upgrades to a value of £7 billion approved. SSE and Scottish Power’s joint investment could create around 3000 jobs and is designed to provide a 21st century electricity system for Scotland.
- 15 Dec 2011 - SSE signed an MoU with Forth Ports, Dundee City Council and Scottish Enterprise – focussed on delivering renewables jobs by attracting international offshore wind supply chain companies to Scotland.
- 1 Nov 2011 – Scottish Renewables (following work carried out by Mott Macdonald) estimates that some £750m of renewable electricity projects have been delivered in the last twelve months in Scotland – an estimate that does not include investment in projects still in scoping, planning or construction.
- 20 Oct 2011 – Global Energy Group finalises purchase of 238 acre Nigg site – supported by HIE funding of £1.8m. Global Energy expects the facility to employ 2000 people by 2015.
- 27 Sep 2011 – Aquamarine Power secured £7 million of new funding to help take its ‘Oyster’ wave technology to commercialisation.
- 1 Aug 2011 - Technip opened its new, Aberdeen based ‘centre of engineering excellence’ for offshore wind in Scotland and announced a new partnership between Technip, Iberdrola. Technip and ScottishPower Renewables.
- 21 June 2011 - French-headquartered Alstom announced it had acquired a 40% stake in Inverness-based AWS Ocean Energy Ltd, developer of the AWS-III wave power device.
- 7 Mar 2011 - Gaia Wind Ltd, a leading small-wind turbine manufacturer opened its new manufacturing, design and distribution Hub in Glasgow.
- 20 Jan 2011 - Gamesa announced plans for an Offshore Wind Technology Centre in Glasgow with plans to create 130 engineering jobs.
- 3 Dec 2010 - Mitsubishi Power Systems Europe Ltd (MPSE) announced plans to invest up to £100 million in Edinburgh creating up to 200 jobs.
- 17 Aug 2010 - Hammerfest Strom UK announced plans to invest £4 million in Scottish businesses. Fife-based Burntisland Fabrication Limited was awarded a major construction contract worth £2 million for the next stage in the development of Hammerfest Strom’s HS1000 device.