Farmers on Black Isle, Scotland urged to develop wind power

A farmers' co-operative, based on the Black Isle, Scotland, is spearheading a drive to develop locally owned small scale wind energy projects across the Highlands. But now with support from Highland LEADER and the Co-operative Enterprise Hub, they have turned their attention to a different kind of harvesting by encouraging farmers to take advantage of the Scottish region’s wind resource.

Steering Group Chairman Alan Whiteford, Castlecraig Nigg, said: "Most of the wind farm investment in the Highlands to date has come from investors outside the region and we are determined to reverse this situation and ensure local farmers and communities are the major beneficiaries of future developments." Read more ...

Whisky bi products could be next biofuel

"Scotland’s whisky has a world-wide reputation for excellence and generates huge benefits for our economy. It’s fitting, then, that the by-products of this industry are now being used in an area where we have so much promise sustainable biofuels," said Fergus Ewing the Scottish Energy Minister as he launches a new company to commercialise a process making biobutanol from whisky by-products.

The new company, called Celtic Renewables, has been set up to capitalise on Scotland's UK£4 billion (US$6.3 billion) malt whisky industry to develop biobutanol a next generation biofuel along with other renewable chemicals and animal feed. Read more ...

Companies aim to develop Worlds Largest wave farm

Alstom and Scottish marine developers SSE Renewables have signed a new venture agreement to develop Costa Head Wave Project, a wave energy site up to 200 Megawatts (MW) located north of mainland Orkney, Scotland. The companies said they will now work together to obtain the necessary permits for the Costa Head site as part of the Crown Estate's program to deploy marine energy projects in the designated Pentland Firth and Orkney Waters Strategic Area. Read more ...

Renewables are a boost to UK economy

The latest research from DECC has shown that so far in this financial year, companies have announced plans for almost UK£2.5billion (US$3.886 billion) worth of investment in renewable energy projects in the UK, with the potential to create almost 12,000 jobs across the country. Scotland is to get two new wind farms that will power over 90,000 homes that have been approved by the Energy Minister Fergus Ewing. The UK Energy Secretary Chris Huhne said that this kind of investment shows the economic benefits of renewable energy, and he reaffirmed the coalitions commitment to meeting the EU renewable energy targets. Read more ...

NFUS calls for Scottish government on agri-renewables

Recently the National Farmers Union Scotland (NFUS) has delivered fresh guidance to its members on developing wind energy projects. The union has also called for the Scottish government to make a start on the promised agri-renewables strategy that it promised in August 2011. “Since the commitment to the strategy in July, the list of issues around farm-based energy generation have continued to grow. They include inconsistencies and constraints in the planning system. Difficulties in getting site approval and, for wind energy, in meeting noise requirements mean that many farmers are struggling to get energy projects off the ground. Read more ...

Scotland cuts subsidies for biomass and wind but not tidal

Scotland's government plans to cut the subsidies support to wind power and biomass power. The increase in subsidies “provides the underpinning support we need for investment in our Kyle Rhea tidal array project that will be offered to the market next month,” Andrew Tyler, chief executive officer of Bristol, England-based Marine Current. The government has “serious concerns” about the sustainability of wood biomass used in larger power plants, Energy Minister Fergus Ewing said in a statement. “UK ambitions for large-scale electricity-only woody biomass plants are an inefficient use of a finite resource.” Read more ...