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Renewable generation on the Scottish Islands could supply as much as 5 per cent of Britain’s electricity by 2030, according to a report by the Scottish government and management consultancy firm Baringa.
The report suggests that the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland could supply up to 5 per cent of Britain’s total electricity demand by 2030 through further deployment of renewable energy, and investment in grid infrastructure and generating assets.
It predicts that renewable generation on the Islands could grow to 1GW by 2020 and another 1.4GW by 2030.
Scotland as a whole accounted for around 30 per cent of total UK renewable electricity generation in 2014 at a record high, 12.4 per cent up from the previous year.
Baringa Partners energy and resources partner Duncan Sinclair said: “The potential is there to achieve that number but there are significant barriers to achieving it, not least because of a lack of current cable connections and uncertainty regarding government support for renewables.
“I think it is unlikely to reach 5 per cent by 2030 considering where we are but that is the technical potential and with the right political support it is possible to make a significant contribution from renewables in the Scottish Isles.”
In addition to increased renewable generation the report claims Island economies could increase by up to £725 million by 2040 as a result of construction and operation of renewables generation.
Scotland benefits from strong renewable resources and Scottish Renewables has previously called for the country to aim to generate the equivalent of 50 per cent of its total energy, heat and transport demand from renewables by 2030.
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