A feasibility study into offshore renewables and grid potential is to be conducted by the Scottish Government in partnership with the Government of Ireland and Northern Ireland Executive, it was announced today.
Energy Minister Jim Mather said the study would explore the potential for the transmission of electricity generated by offshore renewables off the west coast of Scotland, the north and east coasts of Northern Ireland, the Irish Sea and the west coast of the Republic of Ireland.
The announcement came as Mr Mather met Irish Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Eamon Ryan in Glasgow to discuss the two countries' mutual energy interests.
Mr Mather said:
"Scotland has a clear, competitive advantage in developing clean, green energy sources.
"This Government has an ambitious target to generate 50 per cent of Scotland's electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
"To realise the potential of the huge wind, wave and tidal resources at our disposal, we need to examine the longer term development of our grid infrastructure in partnership with government in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
"The feasibility study will allow us to explore the various challenges associated with the development of an offshore transmission network and help make the case for commercial investment.
"Renewable energy is at the heart of the Scottish Government's vision of increasing sustainable economic growth. Scotland, we believe, has never been in better shape to become the green energy capital of Europe and, in turn, a renewables powerhouse."
Minister Ryan said:
"I welcome this opportunity to work with my Scottish counterpart, Mr Mather. Ireland, like Scotland and indeed Northern Ireland, has ambitious renewables targets to meet and I believe that our Governments can work together to achieve these.
"Our shared location, on the periphery of Europe and close to both the Atlantic and North Sea, gives us a distinct advantage. We have a vast wealth of free natural resources that we can harness to provide ourselves with a clean and sustainable source of energy.
"It is imperative that we develop an effective grid system that will allow us to work in partnership and I am delighted to be here today, to discuss the numerous opportunities that await. I look forward to working with Mr Mather in the future to achieve them."
The ISLES (Irish-Scottish Links on Energy Study) project is to be launched later this year.
In 2007, the Scottish Government, Northern Ireland Executive and Government of Ireland commissioned a pre-scoping grid study supported by Interreg funding. The aim of this was to identify the requirements of a full feasibility study for capitalising on offshore renewables potential between the west coast of Scotland and Ireland.
In June 2008, the partnership successfully applied for Interreg funding towards the cost of a fully feasibility study. The study is estimated to cost £1.6 million and will explore technological, economic, construction and regulatory factors associated with the development of such an offshore transmission network.
The ISLES project will contribute to the evidence base on offshore grid potential and complement other work, such as Airtricity's proposals for a European super grid.