Fife well placed to dominate renewables industry

Friday, Aug 20, 2010

While some councils have been slow to embrace developments, Fife Council and its partners have worked to ensure the region has a reputation as a world leader in the industry — with several projects finished or nearing completion.

At the heart of all of these is the Fife Energy Park at Methil, first seen by some when it was mooted in 2005 as a 'pie in the sky' attempt to rejuvenate the area's former Kvaerner rig yard, which had lain empty for over three years.

The yard's closure saw almost 3000 people lose their jobs and cast another shadow over an area which still had not fully recovered from the demise of the mining industry years earlier.

However, Scottish Enterprise Fife and the council joined forces, pledging to invest millions of pounds into the site and turn it into a hub for Scotland's renewable energy sector.

While there is still much to be done, the Methil park has quickly attracted firms in the engineering, oil, gas and renewable sectors, with its coastal location making it particularly suited to serve the offshore market.

With continued Scottish Government backing, that reputation is likely to be enhanced in the years to come — especially in light of the fact that up to 8000 wind turbines could be installed in waters around the UK over the next decade.

Council leader Peter Grant believes Fife's expertise will not only attract new companies but also help indigenous firms grow and diversify.

He said, "We believe the challenging targets set by the Scottish Government are achievable and we believe that by 2013 Fife will be in the enviable position of producing enough green energy to power every one of the kingdom's homes."

Such is Fife's optimism over renewables that the council conservatively estimates that up to 2000 green jobs could be created by 2020. Hundreds of existing jobs are also likely to be safeguarded, the council says, by encouraging companies to adopt renewable energy.

One of the companies committed to meeting Fife's targets is papermaker Tullis Russell, which is working on a £200 million biomass plant to replace its coal-fired boilers in Markinch. It is thought that the 50MW plant could supply enough electricity to power all the homes in Kirkcaldy, Dunfermline and Glenrothes.

Developments at Longannet are also being monitored closely, with ScottishPower bidding to make the Fife power station the first in the world to retro-fit carbon capture and storage technology.

If successful, the technique could reduce Scotland's carbon emissions by around 25% and create a number of highly-skilled jobs in the surrounding area, essentially putting Fife at the forefront of a new industry that could be applied to over 20,000 fossil fuel power stations currently operating worldwide.

Drinks giant Diageo is similarly thinking green and is installing a £65 million biomass combined heat and power plant at its Cameronbridge distillery, which could provide more than 80% of the firm's energy needs.

Education projects are also set to play a vital role in cementing Fife's position, with St Andrews University carrying out world-leading research into fuel cells, which will be vital to the long-term viability of renewable technology.

Whatever happens in the coming years, the growth in renewable energy has presented Fife with an opportunity to develop a sector that can deliver highly-skilled jobs for generations to come.

Source: The Courier