News archive - Week ending 21st March 2008

UK's Largest Wood-fuelled Power Station Opens

First Minister Alex Salmond has officially opened the new biomass power station near Lockerbie. Steven's Croft, owned and operated by E.ON, is the largest wood-fired facility of its kind in the UK and more than doubles Scotland's biomass electricity generating capacity from 39 to 83 megawatts.

The 44MW plant is capable of producing enough green energy by burning a mixture of forestry residue and specially grown willow to supply up to 70,000 homes; more than 17 times the population of Lockerbie. The majority of fuel is sourced within a 60 mile radius. Overall the plant should save up to 140,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year.

The capital cost of the Steven's Croft project is £90 million, including a Big Lottery Grant of £18 million. The project will also benefit from support through the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) Order.

Distillery?s Biomass Energy Plan

A consortium of Scotch whisky companies is planning a £24m heat and power plant fuelled by distillery by-products in Rothes. The group, called the Combination of Rothes Distillers (Cord), in conjunction with Helius Energy, has lodged a planning application with Moray Council for the project. It is claimed the facility would take two years to construct and could be capable of generating enough electricity to power about 9,000 homes.

Funding for Micro-renewables

The Scottish Government has tripled funding to help householders, small businesses and local communities generate their own clean energy. Speaking at Scottish Renewables' annual conference, Finance Secretary John Swinney announced how the £13.5m of increased support for microgeneration and community renewable initiatives in each of the next three years will be used.

More householders will be able to access grants of up to £4,000 and community groups up to £100,000 to install energy generating equipment including solar panels and heat pumps and small businesses will for the first time be able to get loans for microgeneration as well as for energy efficiency measures.

Research to Combating Climate change

Scottish research contributing to worldwide knowledge about climate change was outlined at a recent meeting between scientists and Scottish Ministers. The briefing was organised to update the Climate Change and Environment Ministers on some of the work being carried out at Scotland's environmental, agricultural and biological research institutes.

The research projects that were discussed included:

? Developing measures to slow down the release of carbon from soils, an important source of greenhouse gases
? Using anaerobic bacteria to ferment waste plant material and create the fuels of the future - ethanol and butanol - to reduce the burning of fossil fuels
? Developing new crops and plants that are more resilient to heat and drought
? Reducing the risk of animal and human disease carried by ticks and parasites
? Developing an animal feed that can reduce methane emissions from ruminant animals such as cattle and sheep
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Scientists from the six main research institutes in Scotland; the Macaulay Institute, Moredun Research Institute, Rowett Research Institute, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Scottish Agricultural College and the Scottish Crop Research Institute took part.

Study Looks at Benefits of Green Energy
Speaking at the Comhairle's Energy Summit in Stornoway, Scottish Energy Minister, Jim Mather, announced a study into how the Western Isles can derive economic and community benefit from renewable energy developments, while respecting environmental obligations.

Mr Mather said, "The Western Isles have a vast and enviable resource to develop renewable energy - from onshore wind to energy from wave and tide. There must be renewable energy development across the Isles if we are to ensure that the opportunities and benefits of a renewables revolution can be shared fairly across Scotland. At the same time, the Western Isles also enjoys an outstanding natural environment which is protected in places under European law. We must find a way to ensure developments proceed in harmony with environmental obligations.?

The Comhairle, HIE, SNH and SEPA and other stakeholders will work with the Government and help conduct a study to be ready by the autumn.

The key objectives of the study are:
? To identify renewable energy potential, including the role of different scales of commercial and community-based wind farms and hydro schemes. It should seek to outline the extent, in scale and timescale, to which this potential can deliver economic and community development compatible with environmental obligations
? And on a similar basis, to identify other opportunities for sustainable development initiatives at different scales which might contribute to delivering economic and community benefit compatible with environmental obligations

? Produce a report and recommendations for action at a community rather than individual site level .

This will help parallel work being done by the Comhairle on locational guidance for windfarms. The study will not consider individual planning applications nor site specific proposals.

£15m to Research Greener Travel

The Scottish Government and the Convention of Local Authorities have announced that £15 million will be made available over the next three years to help create a series of 'sustainable travel demonstration communities' across Scotland. The funding will be available to local authorities on a matched funding basis. It is hoped that the projects will showcase the best methods to encourage residents to use more environmentally-friendly forms of transport, and that the initiatives will be mirrored by other communities.

The Government is looking for innovative ideas from local authorities; such as introducing more park and walk as well as park and ride facilities, offering discounts on bicycles and distributing cycle maps and public transport timetables.

Nominations Open for VIBES 2008 Awards

The official launch of the VIBES Awards 2008 took place recently at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. The VIBES (Vision in Business for the Environment of Scotland) Awards aim to raise awareness of environmental and sustainable development issues within businesses in Scotland.

The competition plans to emphasise that more effective environmental management is not only good for business, the economy and competitiveness but also benefits the surroundings in which we work, live and relax.