According to government estimates, 50,000 jobs are set to be created in the offshore wind turbine sector and 10,000 in wave power, over the next 10 years. The West Coast has already secured a number of pioneering projects such as Islay tidal turbines with many more in the pipeline.‘Every area of Scotland will benefit from this energy revolution’, said Mr Salmond, ‘But Argyll particularly has an opportunity to benefit economically’.
He said that he was delighted to learn that Argyll College was already looking at introducing courses to meet new skill expectations adding that it was ‘vital’ that the region’s education providers understood the needs of such a fast-growing industry.
Argyll College principal Michael Breslin said that the college was investigating a number of options, which could see it add engineering disciplines to its list of courses.
‘The majority of jobs particularly in the offshore wind sector will come about in the long-term but we want to make sure that we have the skills here in Argyll’, he said.
But sustainable power wasn’t the only election promise of the day. Support for small businesses and faster broadband were also mentioned with the SNP leader revealing that a 250m capital saving on the Forth Bridge would help get rural Scotland better connected.
Meanwhile, there were lighter moments to the First Minister’s visit. While talking to some of the college’s hairdressing students (above) he confessed to liking visits to the hair salon as they offered a relaxing environment.
And according to Mr Breslin the students throughly enjoyed meeting Mr Salmond.
‘I think it was exciting for them’, he said.
Anastasia Weiner
The photographs accompanying this article are by Anastasia Weiner.
With Mr Salmond in the first two photographs is Michael Russell, the SNP’s candidate in the coming Scottish Election on 5th May. In the photograph outside Argyll College, Councillors Roddy McCuish (left) and Donald Macdonald (centre) can just be glimpsed at the back.
So this was the big assignment! An election puff for the SNP on an SNP supporting blog.
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Sonia’s disgruntled comment smacks of sour grapes.
I am sure that if Iain Gray were to visit Argyll or Bute with some valid policy statement to make that For argyll would be happy to report upon that. It may happen yet!
There cannot be many journalists on a first assignment in a new job who get the opportunity of a one to one interview with the First Minister within a schedule that was clearly short on time.The comments from Alex Salmond about Argyll’s potential to benefit from the growth in renewables are encouraging and the progress made by Argyll College as part of the UHI are surely good news worth celebrating.
I believe that Tavish Scott was close by in Connel with assurances about the future of the Post Office in Scotland. Perhaps he is unaware that the coalition at Westminster is looking at ways of privatising the closely integrated Royal Mail operation with potentially devastating consequences for the rural network.
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Given the big build-up, I was expecting something a little more balanced and objective, presenting more than simply an account of an electioneering visit which lasted little more than a couple of hours (if you take out the obligatory lunch).
As far as potential benefit from renewables is concerned, Argyll is very much a later starter compared to somewhere like Orkney which has carved a niche as a world centre for research and development, especially in tidal power – which has a rather more tangible impact on the local economy.
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Sonia,
There is an election on, or haven’t you noticed? Thus you get electioneering.
The First Minister visited several constituences on Tuesday and naturally time was short.
Tidal power experimentation is proposed for the Sound of Islay. Offshore wind arrays are projected in other locations.A manufacturing facility for onshore wind industry survives in Kintyre
Until comparatively recently Argyll was a late starter in almost everything and there are areas where we still have a a considerable leeway to make up. These are covered fairly comprehensively in open forums within this site.
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You can ‘propose’ and ‘project’ anything you like – especially at election time – doesn’t mean it’s going to come to anything!
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For Sonia: Coudn’t agree more. That’s why we pay no attention to any of them. None are worth felling a single tree to print. We need much more grown up politics and this will only happen when the electorate really engages. From where we are, we are seeing evidence that Argyll is starting to move in that direction, which is very encouraging.
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For Sonia: Argyll has the UHI’s Scottish Association of Marine Science at Dunstaffnage – which is doing frontline research into potential environmental impacts of marine energy generation – such as soundscaping by marine mammals.
Also, at Machrihanish in KIntyre, there is the only turbine tower manufacturing facility in Scotland, with road access and harbour development planned for shipping out by sea.
A serious problem is infrastructural – the national grid was not designed to receive heavy inputs frm the periphery so its traditional trunk and branch structure is not fit for the purpose now required of it. Part of this is that the necessary subsea interconnectors to carry generated power from source to grid do not, in many cases , exist. So, without serious infrastuctural investment we’ll be looking at power with nowhere to go – and it cannot yet feasibly be stored.
What is encouraging in terms of Argyll gearing up to be at the forefront of developments and to prepare for what that means in employment terms, is the Principal of Argyll College, Michael Breslin’s thinking on the need for renewables-related engineering courses.
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Re Argyll and renewables, attention is focused largely on electricity generation. I would point out that Argyll is also in the forefront of renewable fuels production. SAMS have the Biomara project looking at using algae to produce fuels and my own company (Xanthella) is developing advanced bioreactors for mass production of algae to produce biodiesel. In our own case, these facilities are particularly aimed at rural and remote communities and would neatly dovetail the renewable electricity production of the West Coast.
Argyll can indeed be at the forefront of renewable energy. Just needs belief, hard work and a smart approach to investment.
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What a shame Mr Salmond never took the opportunity to visit Kintyre and talk to the very worried workers of the former Vestas/Skycon factory
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What’s happening at the Machrahanish wind turbine tower factory then Kintyre1? There’s been nothing in the news since the announcement of a ‘rescue’ back on the 9th of March.
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Sonia clearly has not done her research when she states “Argyll is very much a later starter compared to somewhere like Orkney” Sonia should be aware that Argyll was at the cutting edge of renewables technology when the first biomass district heating plant in the UK was commisioned in Lochgilphead in 2003. This was followed by an even bigger, award winning biomass district heating installation at Glenshellach Oban.
These developments and others, have put Argyll with its vast timber resource, at the forefront of biomass renewables in Scotand. This has created new jobs,helped the Argyll biomass supply chain to grow and flourish,and strenghen and sustain our rural economy..
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Mike Russell, what a man, what a star and the other bloke is no to bad either !
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Could the Oban Times not find space for visit of FM before paper went to bed Tuesday evening?
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Sadly it would appear that The Oban Times does not DO politics.
This is a great pity as it once -admittedly long ago – had the reputation nof being a radical and outspoken publication that was not afraid to crusade on behalf of perceived injustices
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