Marine Renewables Industry
Tracy Gilbert Excerpts(3 weeks, 2 days ago)
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Tracy Gilbert (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab)
It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Ms Jardine. I congratulate the right hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr Carmichael) on securing this important debate.
I want to begin by talking about the exciting link between the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency, and Orkney and Shetland. Nova Innovation, based in Leith, has a very simple mission: to be a global leader in marine energy, delivering clean, predictable energy across the world. In 2016, it installed the world’s first offshore tidal array in Bluemull sound, in the right hon. Gentleman’s constituency, and ever since then the array has went from strength to strength. Three turbines were installed in 2016, a fourth in 2020, and a fifth and sixth two years ago. That installation is not just the world’s first offshore tidal array; it now has the largest number of tidal turbines anywhere in the world. In last year’s contracts for difference allocation round, Nova secured contracts to deliver 6 MW of tidal energy at the Fall of Warness site in Orkney. It is innovating at pace and is demonstrating the potential for tidal and new marine renewables to deliver energy security, and to help with the sprint to clean power.
It is essential that the Government support and guide marine renewables—first, by setting a 1 GW tidal stream target by 2035, which would send a signal to industry about their support and ambition. I am keen to hear from the Minister what consideration the Government have given to putting in place such a target.
Secondly, GB Energy could help to harness the potential for tidal power here and across the globe. Nova in my constituency has demonstrated that the technology can work, and our tides and sea mean that we have 11 GW potential domestically. If GB Energy took equity stakes in tidal stream projects, those projects could be scaled up not only to benefit from that 11 GW earlier, but to build up domestic manufacturing, domestic supply chains and to deliver jobs. I appreciate that there is smaller demand for tidal overall than for other renewable sources, but at present 8% of the tidal supply chain is in the UK.
Thirdly, we need to speed up the consent process, and I welcome the decisions taken by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero in that regard. Stakeholders have expressed their dismay to me that, although Canada can secure consent and start construction within two years and France can do similar within three, the process can take up to a decade in the UK. I am concerned that if the timescales cannot improve, we will fritter away our competitive advantage not just with marine renewables but across a large number of established and innovative technologies. I appreciate that consenting is devolved to Scotland; the Minister knows that I have raised the unacceptably long process for consent decisions with the Energy Consents Unit and Marine Scotland, and I would welcome an update on the recent discussions he has had with Scottish Ministers on consenting.
I hope that the Government will listen to today’s debate and fully back marine renewables, and that in the future there will be a stronger link between Edinburgh North and Leith, and Orkney and Shetland, with more tidal energy generated.
Oral Answers to Questions
Tracy Gilbert Excerpts(4 months ago)
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Michael Shanks
I was not aware when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State changed the titles of the ministerial portfolios that we had moved away from having a Minister for consultation, but it seems that all the hon. Gentleman was doing in his time in office was launching consultations. We are going to get on with delivering and we are moving at pace on the whole of the electricity system, including on nuclear, and delivering on the things that he failed to do.
Tracy Gilbert (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab)
The Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero (Ed Miliband)
As well as our measures on onshore wind, solar and renewables, this Government have begun legislating for Great British Energy and setting out our plan for proper standards for private and social renters to take 1 million families out of fuel poverty, and on Friday we announced deals to kick-start Britain’s carbon capture industry. All of this will deliver our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower. It is right for bills, right for energy security, right for jobs and right for climate leadership.
Tracy Gilbert
I welcome the actions outlined by my right hon. Friend, particularly the recent announcement that GB Energy will be headquartered in Aberdeen, with satellite offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Can he outline the role that he expects the satellite offices to take? Given the investment already under way in the port of Leith for a number of renewable companies, as well as the prospects for the supply chain and manufacturing, will he consider Leith as the location for the Edinburgh site?
Ed Miliband
My hon. Friend is absolutely right to draw attention to our announcement on Aberdeen as the headquarters of Great British Energy and the important role that it will play, and also to the importance of the satellite offices. I know from my visit to her constituency of the huge potential of her area on these issues, and we want to drive jobs throughout the supply chain through Great British Energy.
Contracts for Difference
Tracy Gilbert Excerpts(5 months ago)
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Ed Miliband
I think that tonight, the hon. Gentleman will think that that was not a very smart point to make. Weeks after we came into office, the price cap went up. I have explained why the price cap went up—because of our reliance on international gas markets. The decision that he has to make is this: does he support our mission to make Britain a clean energy superpower in order to bring bills down, or does he not?
Tracy Gilbert (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab)
There is one notable absence from the allocation round results today, which is Berwick Bank wind farm. Located in the North sea, Berwick Bank has the potential to deliver up to 4.1 GW of clean electricity, and to lead to further investment in the supply chain and manufacturing. The port of Leith in my constituency is a prime location for the project, but we are still waiting to hear about the consent. Can the Secretary of State confirm that he will push the Scottish Government to speed up their section 36 consent process, so that Berwick Bank can come forward in the next allocation round and we can get on with delivering a sprint to clean energy?
Ed Miliband
I am glad that my hon. Friend has raised that point. We face planning decisions and questions at a policy level, if I can put it that way, right across the United Kingdom, including in Scotland and in England. We will work with the Scottish Government and others to make sure that we have a planning system that is fit for purpose, and that can build the clean energy that we need.