19/03/2009
Members of a Parliamentary committee are to visit Orkney next week to gain a better understanding of the potential role that the Pentland Firth could play as a location for wave and tidal projects in the north of Scotland.
The Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee will visit a number of companies and sites operating in and around the Pentland Firth to gather information for its energy inquiry Determining and Delivering Scotland’s Energy Future.
In recent years, the Pentland Firth has become the focus for developing renewable energy projects in Scotland, with wave and tidal conditions making it an ideal location for these new technologies. Over the next few years, sites in the area will be allocated to companies for new energy projects, placing the north of Scotland at the forefront of the renewable marine energy industry.
Four committee members will travel to Orkney on Monday 23 March, visiting sites including the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Stromness and Scotrenewables Limited, where discussions will focus on tidal energy and tidal-energy technology. They will also have an opportunity to meet people involved in local renewable energy projects and discuss how these can be supported and developed for the benefit of local communities.
During the visit committee members will also visit an Orkney Housing Association energy-efficient housing development in Stromness.
Committee Convener Iain Smith MSP said: “Visiting Orkney will allow the committee to gain an insight into the role the Pentland Firth could have in the future of marine-based renewable energy technologies. The committee will be able to learn more about the opportunities offered by these technologies, but also the challenges that need to be surmounted to make them viable and ready to deploy in the Pentland Firth.
"The Pentland Firth is very well placed to make Scotland one of the leading marine-based renewable energy sectors in the UK. The committee members will have an opportunity to hear first-hand from a range of different local renewable energy businesses, including EMEC and Scotrenewables Limited, as well as community representatives.
"The inquiry, Determining and Delivering Scotland’s Energy Future, has already heard considerable evidence about the challenges faced in bringing new technologies from the research and development stage through to construction and commercial deployment in the difficult economic climate.”
Background
The remit of the inquiry, Determining and Delivering Scotland’s Energy Future, is to determine, within the devolved context and the Parliament’s competencies, the future for Scotland in terms of energy production, distribution and more efficient energy use, and when it can be delivered to meet the Scottish Government’s objectives of increasing renewable energy generation and reducing emissions.
It will also consider how energy supplies can be secured at an affordable price and how economic benefits from the energy industries can be maximised.