Wind industry welcomes Scottish power line decision

The wind industry has been frustrated by Scotland’s existing electricity grid – much of which it says is old and in the wrong parts of the country to harness wind energy generated from the windiest regions such as the north of Scotland.

Announcing the Scottish Government’s decision yesterday, Energy Minister Jim Mather agreed: “Scotland's electricity network needs significant reinforcement to allow our vast renewables potential to be harnessed, transmitted and exported – currently we simply do not have the transmission capacity to carry the green energy which Scotland will generate over the coming years.”

The upgrade of the 220 kilometre line between between Beauly substation near Inverness and Denny North substation near Falkirk – originally built to connect new hydro generation after the Second World War – will replace the existing 132 kilovolt (kV) line with a 400kV line.

The British Wind Energy Association (BWEA) said that this will give immediate access for 1500 megawatt (MW) of onshore projects that are already in the advanced stages of planning and represents the first step towards delivery of 8,000 MW of wind power as other grid reinforcements in the north of Scotland follow on.

Head of grid at the BWEA, Guy Nicholson said: “This is great news for the UK wind industry, it’s the first step in building a 21st century grid system capable of connecting decentralised green energy throughout the UK.”

He added: “Whilst more grid upgrades will be required to achieve the UK’s carbon reduction targets, this important milestone provides the green light for the development of a decentralised grid network, and allows the UK to continue to develop its world leading offshore wind, wave and tidal energy industries.”

Frank Mitchell, director at ScottishPower – which has been granted planning permission to upgrade the 20 kilometre section of the line that lies within the company’s network area – also welcomed the decision.

“The Beauly to Denny power line upgrade is essential to help Scotland achieve its renewable energy potential. All aspects of the proposal have been thoroughly scrutinised over the last three years and we are pleased that the Scottish Government has approved the upgrade,” he said.

But the decision has been castigated by Scottish conservation groups who see it as capitulating to the energy companies and claim it will destroy a precious wild landscapes.

Helen McDade, head of policy for the John Muir Trust was not placated by the measures announced by the Scottish Government to minimise the scheme’s visual and landscape impact and protect Scotland’s cultural heritage and our tourism sector.

“Marching a 220 kilometre mega pylon line though some of our most world-renown landscapes may be the most lucrative option for the energy industry but it is the wrong choice for Scotland,” she said. 

“It is particularly galling that this white elephant is being given the go-ahead in a week when the UK Government will announce another generation of offshore wind farms.

"Combined with plans for a European subsea supergrid, this completely destroys any rationale for bringing electricity produced in the north of Scotland, and destined for consumption in England, overland right down through the Highlands and Central Scotland. Why on earth not have one or more subsea cables for this long-distance transmission?”

But the Scottish Government has been persuaded that Beauly-Denny power line will play a crucial role in meeting its target of supply 50 per cent of electricity demand from renewables by 2020 (in 2008, 22 per cent of electricity demand came from renewables).