JENNY Hogan’s article on the role of renewables contains some half-truths
and misleading inferences (“Time truth was told about the vital role of
renewables in our wellbeing”, Herald Agenda, April 22).
It is not true that fossil fuel generators are paid when they are
“constrained off” the grid – in fact they pay National Grid for the fuel
that they do not need to use. Only wind generators are paid, not for the
electricity they do not generate, but for the consumer-paid subsidy they
would otherwise collect.
The UK National Grid was never designed to take large amounts of
intermittently-available electricity from the north of Scotland to
consumers in the south of England. However, to upgrade the grid, and to
provide backup and standby generation to deal with wind and possibly even
more variable tidal power (zero to maximum twice a day) will more than
double the cost to the consumer of subsidising renewables.
Many of those employed in the renewables industry are simply involved in
the preparation of proposals. Others are in short-term construction jobs.
There is essentially no continuing employment after wind farms have been
built.
And what of the “huge potential” of our seas? Wave and tidal power are a
long way from commercialisation. The likely practical potential of the
former, if and when it can be developed, is actually rather modest, about
1.2GW, comparable to one small to medium-sized power station.
Offshore wind is a well-understood technology in the conditions of the
Baltic and southern North Sea, but no developer has yet committed to
construction, as opposed to plans, for the harsher environment of
Scotland’s northern waters.
It is not at all clear that renewables are working for Scotland, as opposed
to working for French, German and Spanish energy companies, Danish, Spanish
and German turbine manufacturers, and the makers of Chinese solar panels.
Jack W Ponton, FREng,
Scientific Alliance Scotland,
7-9 North St David Street, Edinburgh.
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