A LEADING energy company has warned that Scotland will not be able to scale up wind farms to meet climate targets without an overhaul of charging regimes that “penalises” projects north of the border. Currently, Scotland is planning or has installed around 740 MW of energy from offshore wind farms. But the Scottish Government hopes to scale up the infrastructure to between 8GW and 11GW by 2030 – by when a pledge to reduce carbon emissions by 75 per cent of 1990 levelswill need to be met. SSE has told MSPs that while the ambition from SNP ministers is welcome, charging rates by Ofgem add £3 per MWh as a Scottish “premium” as the power has to travel further to other parts of the UK meaning developers may think twice before agreeing to invest in Scottish projects. But Ofgem ha stressed that “homes and businesses in Scotland have benefited from lower transmission charges as the power is generated closer to where it is delivered”. Speaking at Holyrood’s Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee, Sam Peacock, director of corporate affairs and strategy for SSE, pointed to obstacles stopping the scaling up of offshore wind generation in Scottish waters – highlighting grid charging.
Herald 20th Jan 2021 read more »
