Scottish Jobs: The Energy Industry
Scotland has long been at the centre of energy production for the United Kingdom due to our reliance on the vast supply of oil under the North Sea. In recent years, however, production of North Sea oil has begun to decline whilst Scotland has emerged as a formidable country for the production of renewable energy, and the investment of Scottish jobs in the green energy sector has happened as a result.
Although Britain and Norway are responsible for most of the remaining sources of oil and gas in the North Sea, resources are certainly running out and it is estimated that well over half has already been extracted since the 1960s. Despite the remaining fossil fuel deposits that are to be mined off the coast of Scotland, the government has aims that by next year 18 percent of Scottish electricity produced will be from renewable sources.
Wind turbines in Scotland are some of the most economically viable in the European Union due to their electricity production rate averaging 40 per cent of the time in comparison to the typical 25 percent generated by turbines elsewhere. There are also plans for offshore wind turbines off the Scottish coast, most notably are those made by Canadian oil giants, Talisman Energy, to construct two turbines at Cromarty which will be the biggest turbines in the world (88 metres high) and will have a maximum capacity of five megawatts each.
Wave power is also receiving considerable investment in Scotland at the moment. The Edinburgh-based company Pelamis are at the forefront of the exploration into this resource with their pioneering floating tube design. Along with backing from the Scottish Government, plans are now in place to install the UK’s first wave farm which will include four separate Pelamis machines.
Another significant renewable energy source for Scotland is hydro-electricity. Most of the UK’s hydro-electric power is generated here and the industry has been well established for over 50 years. Further schemes are being established (although the country’s potential is regarded as nearly exhausted), the most significant being the work at Glendoe, Fort Augustus.
With Scotland no doubt being of exciting potential for the future of renewable energy, it is somewhat surprising that tidal power is seemingly non-existent at the moment. This is due to its acknowledgement as a renewable force being relatively recent in comparison, and the potential of the Scottish tides to generate considerable amounts of energy is becoming increasingly realised. Alex Salmond of Scottish Renewables recently described the Pentland Firth as “the Saudi Arabia of tidal power,” and it seems that the future of Scottish tidal power is bright.
