Missing out on renewables jobs
YOUR recent article “Renewables industry warns that new ‘super pylons’ are crucial” (The Herald, August 24) contains the statement from Scottish Renewables that “we must build more power lines, pylons and substations”. By use of the word “we” it is reasonable to presume that it is Scottish-based manufacturers that the trade body expects to provide the required grid infrastructure.
Given that expectation, can Scottish Renewables inform us of the contribution of Scottish industry to the existing renewables manufacturing industry? Can it tell us, for example, how many of Scotland’s many thousands of onshore wind turbines have been manufactured in Scotland to date? And how many of the hundreds of offshore wind turbines operating or planned to operate in Scotland’s seas have been or will be built in Scotland?
Then there are the sophisticated ships used to install the offshore turbines. How many of these have been constructed in Scottish shipyards? And the highly specialist vessels that lay the undersea cables? And the many thousands of kilometres of these cables needed to bring electricity ashore?
As I suspect that the answer to all of these questions is either “hardly any” or “none'” can Scottish Renewables tell us what hope it has that any of the much-needed grid infrastructure will be manufactured in Scotland?
The repeated assertion of the Scottish Government that Scotland is the UK’s renewable energy powerhouse may be relevant to the wind, rain, sun, land and sea our country provides, but its failure to develop and sustain the essential infrastructure manufacturing base might suggest that in reality our powerhouse is more akin to a dud battery.
John Riddell, Fairlie.
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