ONCE again Fergus Ewing tries to divert attention from reality by blaming
Westminster and grid transmission costs for the forthcoming closure of the
Longannet power station (“Power station plan axed over ‘unfair’ grid
connection cost”, The Herald, August 19), conveniently failing to admit
that the more fundamental cause of Longannet’s closure is his own
Government’s electricity generation policy, which focuses on the reduction
of carbon emissions through extensive and ever increasing use of
renewables, primarily wind.
Wind turbine manufacture and construction generate significant carbon
emissions and do not reduce carbon emissions simply by operating but can
only do this by displacing fossil fuel generation. Since wind generation is
mandated to be given priority access to the grid, fossil-fuelled generators
like Longannet are constrained off the grid when the wind is blowing.
Inevitably, as the amount of wind generation increases, fossil-fuelled
plants are constrained off more often, resulting in their becoming less
economic.
two questions for Mr Ewing. First, once Longannet is closed, exactly how
will building ever more wind turbines achieve any further carbon reductions
without coal-fired generation to displace? Secondly, where will the backup
necessary to keep our lights on when the wind is not blowing come from?
Certainly not from our two ageing nuclear generators nor half a gas power
station at Peterhead.
A bit more openness and less obfuscation from the minister would be much
appreciated
Dr GM Lindsay,
Scientific Alliance Scotland,
7-9 North St David Street,
Edinburgh.
WITH Scottish Power owned by Spanish multi-national Iberdrola, high carbon
taxes and unfair transmission charges determined by the UK Government
resulting in closure of Longannet and the withdrawal of plans for a
gas-fired power station at Cockenzie with loss of jobs and insecurity of
supply, perhaps a change of name to Scottish Powerless is due.
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R Russell Smith,
96 Milton Road, Kilbirnie.
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