Energy Storage Systems

– in the Scottish Parliament at on 22 September 2016.

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Photo of David Torrance David Torrance Scottish National Party

2. To ask the Scottish Government how it encourages investment in and the development of energy storage systems across Scotland, and how it intends to further support those initiatives throughout this session of Parliament. (S5O-00172)

Photo of Kenneth Macintosh Kenneth Macintosh Labour

I am not entirely sure that that is the question in the

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, Mr Torrance.

Can you answer that question, minister?

Photo of Paul Wheelhouse Paul Wheelhouse Scottish National Party

Energy storage at all scales can play a crucial role in Scotland’s low-carbon energy system.

Scotland’s existing pumped hydro storage assets offer a proven means of large-scale energy storage. We are working with the industry to outline the many benefits of the technology and to make the case to the United Kingdom Government to support new capacity.

The local energy challenge fund is supporting the demonstration of innovative energy storage technologies. For example, we provided £3.2 million to the Edinburgh and surrounding towns heat energy action through thermal storage—EAST-HEAT—project to support the deployment in homes throughout the Lothians and Falkirk of the thermal storage battery that was developed by the Scottish company Sunamp. In addition, the Levenmouth community energy project has received £4.3 million to build on the hydrogen production and storage facilities at Methil, which include facilities to provide low-carbon fuel for Fife Council vehicles. The surf ’n’ turf project in Orkney has also received £1.175 million. That project will produce hydrogen from onshore wind and marine energy, which will be stored, transported and converted back into electricity for use in buildings and berthed ferries at Kirkwall harbour.

Further support for the development and deployment of energy storage will be considered as part of the Scottish Government’s new energy strategy, a draft version of which is due to be published around the end of the year. We continue to work on storage solutions and grid connections to them.

Photo of David Torrance David Torrance Scottish National Party

An energy storage proposal is moving forward in the Kirkcaldy area after developers identified spare capacity at a local substation and appropriate land nearby. What steps is the Scottish Government taking to overcome higher transmission charges for Scottish grid connections in order to attract similar investment throughout Scotland?

Photo of Paul Wheelhouse Paul Wheelhouse Scottish National Party

David Torrance highlights an issue that is of great concern to the Scottish Government. We have been calling for a change to the transmission charging regime for years. We welcomed the partial improvements that were implemented through project transmit but, as we made clear earlier this year when Longannet power station was closed, there is still a long way to go until there is a fair system that does not discriminate against Scotland and call much-needed power supplies into question. Scottish ministers regularly meet the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets and National Grid, and continue to encourage them to ensure that the transmission charging regime stops penalising Scottish generation.

I am aware of a project in Mr Torrance’s constituency led by AES UK and Ireland. We have been in regular dialogue with that developer, including as recently as 19 August, to hear about its grid-scale lithium ion battery technology. We look forward to trying to help that company overcome any barriers.

Photo of Alexander Burnett Alexander Burnett Conservative

Will the minister elaborate on the potential that the Scottish Government sees in liquid air storage technology to reduce our reliance on imported gas for heating?

Photo of Paul Wheelhouse Paul Wheelhouse Scottish National Party

Alexander Burnett highlights an important matter. In our draft energy strategy, which we hope to publish around the end of the year, we will try to tackle the overwhelming problem that 54 per cent of Scotland’s energy consumption is required to provide heat, mainly for space heating purposes. We look to alternative technologies to support the continuing supply of heat to our communities and tackle fuel poverty affordably. There are exciting projects on that, including projects to explore hydrogen and other technologies.