Wednesday, 11th November 2009
Scots Tory MEP calls for SNP re-think on anti-nuclear stance
Scots Tory MEP Struan Stevenson has warned that the SNP Government needs to re-think its anti-nuclear stance or risk throwing Scotland into darkness in the future. His comments were made while speaking at an energy seminar in the European Parliament.
His comments follow the UK’s commitment to identify 10 nuclear power sites in England as part of its plan to enhance its energy infrastructure.
Mr Stevenson, a strong advocate for the need of a mixed energy infrastructure of combined renewable and nuclear energy, hosted the ‘Renewables and nuclear: what role in the low-carbon future’ event yesterday (Tuesday 10th November).
Speaking at the seminar, Scottish Conservative MEP, Struan Stevenson said:
"The Luddite approach of the SNP government saying no to nuclear energy and throwing everything into a mad stampede for wind power, will threaten Scotland with blackouts in the future.”
Mr Stevenson went on to explain to guests that the ‘load factor’ for wind turbines in Scotland is around 30% which means that the giant turbines which bristle across the landscape actually produce energy at their maximum output for less than one third of their operating life resulting in a need for a backup generating capacity to meet demand.
He continued:
“The SNP Government’s refusal to entertain a new nuclear plant will result in the backup generating capacity in Scotland being sourced from other means including high CO2 emitting coal or gas-fired fossil fuel plants.
“This knocks a hole in the entire philosophy behind the drive for on-shore wind.”
The event was attended by Murdo Fraser MSP, deputy leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, Mike Daniels and Helen McDade of the conservation charity the John Muir Trust and representatives from the European Commission and from the nuclear industry.
Murdo Fraser MSP was equally concerned about current policies towards renewables:
"Scotland is facing an energy gap as we have to reduce oil and gas consumption and renewables struggle to fill the space. The SNP Government's policy of not building new nuclear capacity leaves us in danger of having to import electricity for the first time in my lifetime.”
Chief Scientific Officer at the John Muir Trust, Mike Daniels, added:
"Industrial scale renewable developments on fragile and sensitive wild land is not only damaging to the 'natural capital' on which we all depend but is also counterproductive in climate change terms due to the release of carbon from peat soils."
