‘Storage essential to renewable energy ambitions’

Citing projects in the county, Orkney MSP Liam McArthur has called for greater priority to be given to energy storage.

Mr McArthur was speaking in the Scottish Parliament yesterday, during a debate that followed the launch of the new Scottish Renewables storage network and its publication of Energy Storage: The Basics. The report estimates that the global market for large-scale energy storage will be worth around £20 billion by 2022.

He used the example of the Surf and Turf initiative in Eday to highlight the benefits that creative storage solutions can deliver. This project aims to use renewables to generate hydrogen, which, in turn, will provide electricity for ferries when tied up in harbour.

Mr McArthur said: “It is these sorts of applications that really underscore the potential and fundamental importance of storage.”

Commenting after the debate, he said: “Storage is absolutely central to achieving our renewable energy ambitions. As we strive to decarbonise our energy system, storage solutions will play an ever more critical role, providing flexibility and security of supply.

“With the collaboration between SSE and Mitsubishi at Kirkwall Power Station, as well as the Surf and Turf initiative on Eday, Orkney is already demonstrating what can be done. Unfortunately, these projects are still in the early stages of development. Over the coming years, we need to see energy storage becoming a much higher priority for governments north and south of the border.

“Hopefully, today’s debate and the work done by Scottish Renewables provide a decent start to making that happen.”