THE huge economic potential of marine renewables in the north of Scotland is to be set out in a masterplan that will also highlight environmental challenges facing developers.
The Scottish Government has commissioned a Marine Spatial Plan for the Pentland Firth and waters around Orkney, which Alex Salmond, the First Minister, said was to be the epicentre of Scotland's future in green energy.
The aim is to devise a pla
nning tool to help reach balanced decisions when determining future development plans against environmental needs and existing users of the sea like shipping and fishing.
The plan will form part of the government's Marine Bill, which is due out in the spring and intends to ensure sustainable seas around Scotland.
Richard Lochhead, the Cabinet secretary for the environment, said: "Scotland is set to be at the forefront of the global development of clean, green energy technologies. Renewables can drive long-term economic recovery so it is appropriate that the Pentland Firth – often referred to as the 'jewel in the crown' of our marine energy potential – is properly mapped to maximise the full, sustainable economic benefit."
The Pentland Firth is considered to be one of the best tidal energy hotspots in the world. Last September, Mr Salmond said it could eventually produce the equivalent power of 20 conventional stations.
The Crown Estate is also opening up the firth seabed for applications for commercial-scale marine energy development. It is estimated that more than 700MW of energy could be generated by 2020, although Mr Salmond said there was potential for 20 to 30 times that amount.
An Australian company, Atlantis Resources, has revealed plans for 500 undersea turbines in the firth. Atlantis is part of an alliance formed to push forward a plan to use tidal energy to power a computer data centre in Caithness.
ScottishPower also confirmed that it expected to lodge plans for large tidal stream projects in the Pentland Firth, as well as Islay and off the north Antrim coast in Northern Ireland.
Rob Gibson, an SNP Highlands and Islands MSP, said the spatial plan was a huge step forward.
"Marine spatial planning and the Marine Bill means that it should be perfectly possible to allow development while protecting the environment and current practices such as fishing and shipping around the north coast and Orkney," he said.
Environmental challenges include working around designated conservation sites for seabirds, seals, otters and basking sharks. The North Caithness cliffs Special Protection Area and the Pentland Firth islands SPA protect breeding colonies of seabirds. Dolphins, porpoises and whales that use the firth are protected as European Protected Species. Otters, found on the Caithness coastline and in South Ronaldsay, are also an EPS, while the firth has colonies of grey and common seals.
Meanwhile, Dr David Ingram, a leading wave power specialist, said Scotland could generate the equivalent of two nuclear power stations' worth of electricity from waves and it could be exploited "without too much difficulty".
