News archive - Week ending 17th August 2007

First Saltire Prize Goes to Green Energy

The Scottish Government's first Saltire Prize for innovation in industry will focus solely on renewable energy. The announcement was made by Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth John Swinney while speaking at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney. The Saltire Prize is to be an annual award that provides funding to projects that demonstrate the best of innovation in different areas of industry and business. Full details of the Prize will be released in Autumn 2007 and the first award will be made in 2008.

Explaining the reason why the first Saltire Prize will focus on renewable energy, the Minister said, "Scotland has a huge renewable energy potential, enough to meet its demand for power almost 10 times over. Our coastal geography and tidal channels mean we can be a world leader in new wave and tidal energy technologies. The pioneering work of the European Marine Energy Centre is a perfect example of how we can successfully achieve this." "The Scottish Government is determined to support these new technologies wherever possible, both to help tackle climate change and to increase sustainable economic growth", he added.

Ochil Hills Wind Farm Approved

Plans for a wind farm in the Ochil Hills have been approved following a public inquiry. The 12-turbine development at Lochelbank near Glenfarg was originally rejected by Perth and Kinross Council, but the decision has been overturned on appeal, despite more than 1,000 objections to the proposals. There are already schemes for two wind farms in the Ochils, at Burnfoot and Greenknowes.

However the Scottish Executive has rejected appeals for wind farms at Mellock Hill near Crook of Devon, Little Law at Auchterarder and nearby Snowgoat Glen. Scottish Executive Reporter Karen Heyward ruled the cumulative effect of too many turbines would outweigh the possible benefits. However, she approved plans for a development at Lochelbank, which will be capable of generating 15MW of renewable energy.

Campaigners have been fighting the different proposals for four years. The decision to allow only one new wind farm to be built has been welcomed by the Windfarms Action Group (WAG). The permission imposed a number of conditions to try and make sure the plants and their habitat were not destroyed but the 'serious concerns' of the RSPB were rejected.

Tesco Plans Wind Turbines

Tesco is hoping to build a ten metre-high wind turbine to supply power to its biggest Edinburgh store. The Company has applied for local authority planning permission to build the turbine in the car park of the 'Extra' store in Corstorphine. It would be the first Tesco store to be part of a national drive to halve the supermarket chain's in-store energy consumption within three years.

It follows a similar scheme in Wick, Caithness, where solar panels and five wind turbines were built on the roof of a new store to provide a tenth of its electricity needs. The Edinburgh scheme would provide a similar share of the store's power.

Spokesman for Tesco said, "We have been looking at a few sites across the UK as locations for these turbines and the Corstorphine Extra store is one where we are keen to see a scheme developed... ... ...it may only provide a small proportion of the total energy used in the supermarket, but this is part of a UK-wide initiative that we are committed to. We need to try to provide renewable energy at as many of our stores as possible."

Applications for UK Committee on Climate Change

Applications have been invited for the Chair and members of the new UK Committee on Climate Change. The Committee will bring together experts from climate science and policy, economics, business competitiveness and financial management. It will draw on existing information and undertake its own analysis to provide expert advice to Scottish and UK Ministers.

Climate Change Minister Stewart Stevenson said, "The Committee will play a crucial role in advising us of the emerging science of climate change and how best to reduce emissions. We need expert analysis which is clear, transparent and independent of government.
The four countries of the UK are jointly seeking candidates for the Committee which will advise on reaching the UK target of 60 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. In Scotland, there will be consultation on proposals for a Scottish Climate Change Bill which will set the more ambitious target of an 80 per cent reduction in emissions by 2050.

The Committee will be created initially as an advisory non-statutory body, and will be put on statutory basis once the UK Climate Change Bill receives Royal Assent. The closing date for applications is October 8, 2007.