- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 18 March 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to ensure that the delayed ScotWind Leasing process does not undermine the long-term employment prospects of workers in the offshore wind supply chain.
Answer
Crown Estate Scotland’s review of ScotWind aims to allow the ScotWind process to continue as swiftly as possible and thereby lay the foundations for a strong pipeline of development. The review seeks to support our long-term goals for a successful offshore wind sector, and the opportunities for the supply chain that this brings, while achieving a fair value for Scotland’s assets.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 18 March 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the announcement by Crown Estate Scotland on 11 February 2021 of an extension to the deadline for applications to ScotWind Leasing, when it expects the review of the options structure to be completed, and if it will outline the reforms that are under consideration.
Answer
As announced by Crown Estate Scotland on 11 February, the review is targeted for completion by 24 March 2021. Crown Estate Scotland plan to outline the conclusions of the review at that point.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 March 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 24 March 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide for the regeneration of the city centre and beachfront in Aberdeen.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 24 March 2021
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 17 March 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with operators of oil and gas production facilities in the North Sea, ahead of potential applications through the ScotWind Leasing process.
Answer
Oil and gas operators have engaged with our offshore wind planning process and our offshore wind policy statement through their associated consultations. This has helped inform those reports. These engagements have been supplemented by regular discussions which are conducted with the Oil and Gas sector as a routine part of government business, primarily with through the Oil and Gas and Energy Transition Strategic Leadership Group (SLG) which I Chair; the SLG has discussed ScotWind in high level terms during a number of the meetings through the course of the pandemic as we seek to build engagement of the sector in the energy transition
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 17 March 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consult with communities over the use of funds that were paid to Crown Estate Scotland by developers of offshore wind farms through the ScotWind Leasing process.
Answer
Scottish Ministers will consider in due course how revenues accruing to the Scottish Consolidated Fund from the ScotWind leasing round should be utilised and consult with stakeholders. Scottish Ministers have made a commitment that net revenues from Scottish Crown Estate assets out to 12 nautical miles should be invested for the benefit of coastal communities.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 17 March 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the ScotWind Leasing process does not allow offshore wind farm developers to drive risk and cost reduction down the supply chain.
Answer
We are liaising closely with Crown Estate Scotland on the ScotWind review. Crown Estate Scotland are focused on supporting the development of a successful offshore wind sector, and the opportunities for the supply chain that this brings, while achieving a fair value for Scotland’s assets. The potential implications for the Scottish supply chain of any changes to the lease option structure are part of the review’s considerations, including elements such as the Supply Chain Development Statements required from those seeking a licence.
We continue to argue for reform of the all-important Contracts for Difference (CfD) mechanism that UK Ministers utilise to provide revenue support to projects that are successful in bidding in the next and subsequent auction rounds. The auction mechanism, while successful in driving down prices for consumers, has driven a rapid decrease in levelised cost of energy delivered by offshore wind. This has, however, led developers to try to recover their investment from lower revenue flows by lowering the up-front capital cost of the project which then squeezes capital goods prices that can be achieved by the supply chain. We are supportive of the direction of travel on CfD reforms indicated by UK Ministers, on lifting the arbitrary cap on capacity contracted in the third auction round, and UK Ministers proposals to give greater weight to developers’ Supply Chain Plan submissions to support supply chain development, and we have made a submission to that effect.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 16 March 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what its estimate is of the energy generating potential at each of the fifteen plan options that are outlined in the Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind.
Answer
The Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy sets out the generating potential for each Plan Option. At a national level the plan has set a limit for development under this cycle of 10 GW. Table 1 in Section 3, and further detail considered in Section 4, are likely to provide the details sought.
The Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy can be found at https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781800042421
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 February 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 16 March 2021
To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide a substantive answer to question (a) S5W-34138, (b) S5W-34139, (c) S5W-34140 and (d) S5W-34141, which received a holding response on 14 January 2021.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-34138 on 22 February 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 12 March 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on an appropriate rate of return for shareholders in companies that are applying to lease offshore wind farm sites through the ScotWind process.
Answer
It is not for the Scottish Government to determine an appropriate rate of return for investors in a private and competitive venture. Our objective is to see the development of viable and successful projects in Scotland to help tackle the climate emergency and achieve our legal commitment to reach net zero.
- Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 12 March 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs have been supported by the Ninian North decommissioning project, and whether it has discussed this site with Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage.
Answer
The number of jobs supported by the Ninian Northern decommissioning project would be a matter to address towards Highlands and Islands Enterprise, as the information requested is not held centrally.
Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage (SCCS) are non-statutory consultees on the decommissioning plans submitted by industry to the UK Government via the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED). SCCS have confirmed to the Scottish Government that this project did not have CCS reuse potential. The detail of responses to decommissioning plans is a matter for SCCS. The information requested is not held centrally. Information on SCCS can be found on their website at www.sccs.org.uk.