Politics: Wheelhouse fury as UK takes credit for Hywind Scotland world first
BY JAMES WYLLIE
A senior Holyrood politi-cian has hit out at the UK’s climate change
minister, claiming she took credit for the Scottish Government’s work.
Scottish Energy Minis-ter Paul Wheelhouse has criticised Claire Perry over
comments she made about the Hywind project in the House of Commons.
The £190million floating windfarm, 15 miles off the coast of Peterhead, was
connected to the electricity grid last week. The Statoil scheme is the
first of its kind in the world.
In a Westminster debate on carbon capture and storage on Thursday,
Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey SNP MP Drew Hendry criticised the
UK Government’s “shameful” scrapping of a planned development in Peterhead.
Ms Perry responded: I know that the marching orders for the SNP, if not
always for the honourable gentleman himself, is that its members have to be
as gloomy as possible about everything at all times. But it is, frankly,
really very sad that he has made no reference today to the Hywind offshore
floating wind plant, which is one of the most innovative and creative
things that is being done.
‘It is being done by the UK Government, because this area is not a devolved
matter, as he knows.’
The comments drew criticism from Paul Wheel-house, who wrote to Ms Perry
that her “assertion” of this was ‘where we – and I think most reasonable
people – would feel compelled to disagree.” He added: The fact is that the
higher level of support, through a specific Renewables Obligation
Certificates (ROC) figure for floating offshore wind which enabled the
Hywind Scotland project to proceed, was available solely north of the border.
“That support was introduced by the Scottish Government.
“Those devolved powers on ROC … have since been removed by your
colleagues in the UK Government.
A Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy spokeswoman said:
“I can confirm that the minister will respond to Wheelhouse’s letter in due
course”.
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