“No meat on bone” of Salmond’s Scottish oil plans

Should Scotland break away from the UK the oil and gas sector is likely to cope – because the democratic vote is worlds away from other much more violent changeovers. But despite this there’s still uncertainty about the demands made on the sector by an independent Scottish government. That’s according to an oil and gas […]

Salmond asks why Grangemouth deal came to "cliff edge"

Questions will be asked about why the future of Grangemouth petrochemical plant came so close to the “cliff edge”, according to Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond. Under today’s deal union Unite agreed not to strike for three years and accepted the plant owner INEOS’ survival plan. Mr Salmond said: “There will no doubt be continued debate and […]

£1m for Scotland-Ireland energy interconnector study

A million pounds is being spent to study how an offshore interconnectivity grid could be built to help transfer energy between Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland. The project is the second part of the flagship Irish-Scottish Links on Energy Study (ISLES), which aims to find how to transfer energy more easily by breaking down the […]

Europe’s ‘first’ electricity grid research centre in Scotland

The “first” electricity grid research facility in Europe was officially opened in Scotland yesterday. The £12.5 million Power Networks Demonstration Centre (PNDC) in Cumbernauld was built in response to the growing demand for secure, reliable and environmentally friendly power and uses a mini electricity grid system to test new technology. It will be home to […]

£6.5m boost for energy skills in Scotland

The Scottish Government has announced a £6.5 million fund to boost training in oil and gas, renewables and other energy industries – double the original amount unveiled last year. Led by Skills Development Scotland and located at Robert Gordon University, Energy Skills Scotland (ESS) will work with industry to encourage and support more women, young […]

Scotland’s tidal power gets US investment boost

An American tidal power firm has announced plans to set up a base in Scotland, making it the first US renewable energy firm to invest in the nation. ResHydro will receive a £100,000 grant from the Scottish Enterprise and will work with the University of Strathclyde for further research and development for its hydrokinetic energy […]

BP £70m deal shows North Sea oil is still “safe bet”

British oil giant BP signed a £70million deal to redevelop one of the North Sea’s largest oil fields with oilfield services firm Aker Solutions yesterday. The upgrade work will take place at the Schiehallion and Loyal fields which are roughly 100 miles west of the Shetland Islands. Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond said the deal […]

EU energy chief Oettinger visits Scotland

The EU’s top energy official Gunther Oettinger visited Edinburgh yesterday to hold talks with Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond and energy industry figures. Hitting Europe’s climate change and energy targets was top of the agenda, according to Scottish officials. The EU has committed to getting 20% of its energy from renewable sources by 2020, slashing […]

Scotland aims to decarbonise power sector by 2030

The Scottish Government has pledged to decarbonise its energy sector by 2030 and boost offshore wind in the country. First Minister Alex Salmond revealed the new target of cutting carbon emissions from electricity generation by 50gCO2/kWh (grams of carbon dioxide per kilowatt hour) by 2030 – suggested by the UK Committee on Climate Change – […]

Salmond: oil and gas is “sunrise sector”

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond is today set to shower the oil and gas sector with praise, describing it as a “sunrise industry” in a New Year message. In what could be an attempt to balance the ‘green’ support which dominated his speeches last year, Scotland’s leader said the Scottish Government and oil and gas […]