‘Vacuous’ agendas

No bids were presented for the NE1 acreage east of Bressay during the recent Scottish Crown Estate windfarm auction, but offers may be expected in the July round.

As argued windfarm auctions should remain within the UK Government’s jurisdiction consistent with those issued for oil, and keeping in accord with the ZCC Act 1974 which has precedence over the Scottish Crown Estate’s involvement starting only in 2017.

Hydrocarbon types can overlap into each other’s territory (oil-condensate-gas for instance) – Cambo and nearby prospects will fall somewhere within those broad groupings.

For that reason alone the SNP/Greens efforts to atrophy Cambo “oil” will in effect cut off Cambo “gas”, and other prospects denying gas to SGP [Shetland Gas Plant], prejudicing long term operation, jobs and highlighting the total vacuousness of their agendas. That is an utter disgrace.

These parties and their candidates do not deserve Shetlanders’ votes. This is particularly important due to the hiatus of the Ukraine affair and for the UK to secure its energy/gas needs and safeguard national strategic interests.

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Is the NE1 Bressay area, drawn just outside the 12 mile limit – an attempt by Holyrood to subvert both the UK Government’s rights and those granted to Shetland in the ZCC 1974 act?

To ensure fairness and equity the UK Government should reaffirm and assert its authority over its Shetland waters including wind and hydrocarbon permits to ensure that any cornucopia is developed in a safe and sustainable manner and prevent the establishment of a wind fiefdom in Edinburgh who may have opinions and make decisions which could be prejudicial to Shetland’s long term prospects, with fishing, Orion, wind and the Sullom complexes in mind.

The large seabed anchorage areas needed for deepwater “floaters” are greater than those required for the “stalk” variety. This could seriously restrict, impede or otherwise compromise and even exclude fishing activity.

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The local fishing industry should be aware of these possible developments, before windfarm areas are “granted” and any construction work contemplated.

Windfarm power cables to Shetland will cross over into SIC 12 mile jurisdiction needing work licences etc, and serious consideration should be given by the present and prospective SIC councillors to properly monitor and control any temporary “delegated powers” by their local or Scottish officials.

A “floater” with attached electrolyser off Aberdeen will produce hydrogen and pipe it to the city but it’s unlikely that H2 will be produced off-shore Bressay due to the greater distance, increased weather risks etc, and even more so off the north coast of Unst.

Seabed cables would probably be the preferred option taking electricity to Sullom to produce hydrogen where it could then be inserted into the gas line to Scotland but the quantity injected may have to be limited under 20 percent to maintain the grid’s caloric requirements.

Thereafter any further H2 could be used to manufacture NH3 or other products using imported CO2 by ship.

Cecil Robertson
Inverness