THE FUTURE OF ELECTRICITY GENERATION IN SCOTLAND
Scotland can hit its target of 50 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2020 and keep exporting electricity to England and Northern Ireland, according to a major independent study of the Scottish Government’s renewable energy targets commissioned by SCDI.
This is likely to mean a 500 per cent increase in the numbers of wind farms, with Scotland needing around 450 MW of new wind power – more than twice the size of the country’s biggest operational wind farm - every year until 2020.
But the report, produced by independent energy research consultancy Wood Mackenzie, also states that new nuclear power should be ‘considered as a potential part of the longer term generation base in Scotland’ due to questions about how we replace existing power plants with low carbon alternatives beyond 2020.
The other main findings of the report are that:
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- On shore wind will provide more than 80 per cent of the increase in renewable electricity by 2020, with marine, biomass and hydro expanding at a tenth of the rate of new wind.
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- Scotland needs £10bn of investment in new electricity generation between now and 2020.
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- Demand for electricity will rise by 10 per cent in the same time frame - despite continued attempts to encourage greater energy efficiency.
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- Scotland’s electricity sector will produce a third less carbon dioxide.
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To download the full Report click here
To download the accompanying press release click here
If you have any questions or comments on the report, please contact policyteam@scdi.org.uk
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