By Alison van Diggelen, host of Fresh Dialogues
Last month, during a lecture trip to Scotland, I sat down for tea at Scottish Development International in Glasgow with Paul O’Brien, senior executive of Renewable Energy Development. We discussed how Scotland is leveraging its expertise and natural resources in the renewable energy sector. Claiming up to 25% of Europe’s offshore wind, wave and tidal energy potential, Paul is bullish about Scotland’s energy future. We discussed (in very strong Scottish accents):
The Beatrice Wind Farm Project: the largest offshore wind turbines deployed in the world (5 megawatts) and why the project’s success could be a turning point for wind energy in Scotland.
The Crown Estates announcement on February 16th of ten new sites for offshore wind that have the capacity to deliver 6.4 Gigawatts of power.
Scotland’s use of oil rig technology for the first time ever to develop new wind power opportunities in over 45 meters of deep water.
Visual intrusion and the Cape Wind Project in the U.S.
Public sector input from The Scottish Government, the European Union and the UK Government
The Ten Million Pound Saltire Prize
The impact of the credit crunch
Scotland’s comparative advantage in the server farm sector, Morgan Stanley’s data center
Scotland’s bullish clean energy targets: 31% of electricity from renewables by 2011 and 50% by 2020. (Paul claims they are close to achieving the former and may well surpass the latter by 2020)
Listen to Paul O’brien, SDI on Fresh Dialogues
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Quotes
On wind turbines in 45 meter depths, over 12 miles offshore
“By overcoming the depth issue, we’ve opened up a hellavalot more of the North Sea to development.”
On selling Scotland as an energy efficient location for server farms.
“We have tremendous weather here (mostly cold ALL the time). That could save you money just by siting your server farm in Scotland.”
On the concept of using renewable energy to power low-cost coastal data centers for Google etc.
” If we can prove to the world it can be done here, we’ll see more and more of such projects…when you’re on a coastal site, there is the opportunity to use sea water for the cooling. ”
The interview was recorded at Scottish Development International in Glasgow, Scotland on Thursday February 19, 2009
