Wind rush
Dr Sam Gardner, ScottishPower’s head of climate change and sustainability, insists Government planning rules are delaying renewable energy schemes for years (28 September). He obviously doesn’t understand there is a good reason for the length of time taken for any application to work its way through the planning system – or is he only concerned about loss of profit?
Nowhere does he mention the impact of these energy schemes on the environment, wildlife and rural communities which bear the brunt of the rush towards net zero. These all have to be assessed and consulted upon. If he has his way, rural communities will have less time to respond and/or fundraise to pay for professional advice and support and other consultees, already under extreme pressure, won’t be able to adequately scrutinise applications. This will inevitably result in even more disastrous decisions being made.
But why should Government or Industry care, it’s a great way to silence any opposition to their plans.
Aileen Jackson, Scotland Against Spin, East Renfrewshire
Green hydrogen
There have recently been numerous letters/articles in this newspaper extolling the virtues of so-called green hydrogen as a replacement for fossil fuel energy.
Unfortunately none of these have included actual numbers, which are a prerequisite of any scientific/technical discussion. To produce, store and transport just one unit of hydrogen energy to the point of use requires the input of about 6 units of renewable energy.
In wind terms in GWh that means 9000 of the larger onshore turbines (2MW installed capacity with 33 per cent load factor) to replace the output of our remaining, and soon to be disposed of, nuclear power station at Torness with its hydrogen equivalent.
Green hydrogen may not produce greenhouse gases but it certainly has other environmental, and very costly, consequences – and let’s not forget the energy “lost” in its production.
This may not add to global warming by the greenhouse effect but it certainly makes some small direct contribution, as does every other use of energy – but that’s another story.
A McCormick, Terregles, Dumfries
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