Die Pläne für das „Leith Renewable Energy Hub-Site“, der Schottischen Regierung dienen der Energiewende und wurden mit das baden-württembergische Minister*innen besprochen

(WK-intern) – Die schottischen Betreiber des Forth Ports erläuterten das Minister*innen für Umwelt, Klimaschutz und Energiewirtschaft des Landes Baden-Württemberg, die Pläne Schottlands, das größtes Drehkreuz für erneuerbare Energien auf einem 175 Hektar großen Gelände im Hafen von Leith, Edinburgh, zu errichten.

Das Minister*innen schloss sich bp und EnBW an, die zuvor im Rahmen der ScotWind-Leasingrunde ein gemeinsames Angebot für einen Offshore-Windpachtvertrag von 2,9 GW in der Nordsee angekündigt hatten.

Das Angebot, das über die Entwicklung von Offshore-Windenergie hinausgehen soll, sondern auch dazu beitragen soll, Schottlands umfassendere Energiewende voranzutreiben, führte zu einem ersten finanziellen Beitrag für das neue Drehkreuz für erneuerbare Energien in Leith, mit der Zusage, dass weitere folgen sollen, sollte das Angebot von bp/ENBW erfolgreich.

Nach einer Hafenrundfahrt auf einem Forth Ports-Schlepper sagte das Minister*innen für Umwelt, Klimaschutz und Energiewirtschaft des Landes Baden-Württemberg:

„Die Erzeugung erneuerbarer Energien in Kombination mit einer massiven Reduzierung unseres Energiebedarfs – Effizienz an erster Stelle – ist der Schlüssel zur Erreichung unserer ehrgeizigen Klimaziele. Nur so können wir bis 2022 aus der Atomkraft und 2030 aus fossilen Brennstoffen aussteigen. Transformation macht nicht an Ländergrenzen halt. Daher begrüße ich als Minister für Energiewirtschaft in Baden-Württemberg das Engagement der EnBW hier in Schottland und schätze ihre Bemühungen, gemeinsam mit bp diesen Offshore-Windpark für unsere klimaneutrale Zukunft zu bauen, sehr.“

Prestigious German delegation visits – Leith Renewable Energy Hub site

Plans for Firth of Forth and Scotland’s energy transition shared with Baden Württemberg Minister

Forth Ports outlined its plans to create Scotland’s largest renewable energy hub on a 175-acre site at the Port of Leith, Edinburgh, to Thekla Walker, the Minister for the Environment, Climate Protection and the Energy Sector of the State of Baden Württemberg, Germany, when she visited the port today (8th Nov 2021).

The Minister joined bp and EnBW, who previously announced a joint bid for a 2.9GW offshore wind lease in the North Sea as part of the ScotWind leasing round. The bid, which seeks to go further than only develop offshore wind, but help fuel Scotland’s wider energy transition, prompted an initial financial contribution towards the new renewable energy hub at Leith, with the commitment of more to come should the bp/ENBW bid be successful.

The £40 million renewable energy hub, which will see the construction of a floating wind enabled berth which will have in excess of 50 acres of logistics laydown space and a further 35 acres of quayside linked space dedicated to building green manufacturing bases and local content. This collaboration will also:

• Make a major contribution to Scotland achieving its 2045 net zero greenhouse gases target
• Secure the Firth of Forth as the driver for Scotland’s green energy transition
• Help spearhead Edinburgh’s and Scotland’s Covid-19 recovery plan
• Create the largest facility in Scotland, which can bring manufacturing opportunities, local jobs and economic growth in Scotland
• Support up to 1,000 high quality, long term direct jobs and about 2,000 indirect jobs

Following a tour of the port on a Forth Ports tug vessel, Thekla Walker, Minister for the Environment, Climate Protection and the Energy Sector of the State of Baden Württemberg said:

“The generation of renewable energy in combination with a massive reduction in our energy demand – efficiency first – is key to achieving our ambitious climate targets. This is the only path for us to phase out nuclear power by 2022 and fossil fuels by 2030. Transformation doesn’t stop at country borders. Therefore, as the Minister of the Energy Sector in Baden-Württemberg I welcome the commitment of EnBW here in Scotland and I very much appreciate its efforts in bidding in partnership with bp to build this offshore wind park for our carbon neutral future.”

David Webster, Senior Port Manager at Forth Ports, said:

“Since announcing our plans for a renewable energy hub at Leith, the reaction from industry and from the community has been remarkable. It’s clear that there’s a real appetite for seeing Leith, and the whole Firth of Forth corridor, play a central role in Scotland’s energy transition to net zero. I’m thrilled that the Minister wanted to take time out of her busy COP26 schedule to visit Leith and see for herself our proposals to work with committed partners such as bp and ENBW to make these plans a reality.”

Georg Stamatelopoulos, Member of the Management Board at EnBW, said:

“Scotland is one of the most attractive markets for offshore wind, and EnBW is looking forward to further supporting the Port of Leith in its transition to a renewables hub and as an accelerator for a clean energy future for Scotland. As a fully integrated energy company and one of the leading offshore wind developers, EnBW aims to become climate-neutral by 2035. We will benchmark every decision and investment against this criterion, thereby firmly linking our future growth to sustainability.”

Felipe Arbelaez, Senior Vice President of Zero Carbon Energy at bp, said:

“Scotland is uniquely placed to lead the energy transition by harnessing the decades of skills and experience built up in the offshore oil and gas sector. If successful, the investment by bp and EnBW will support the Port of Leith to transform into a renewables hub and position Forth Ports for future growth in offshore wind in the North Sea. bp’s ambition is to use our capabilities as an integrated energy company to bring more clean energy and support a Scottish transition to net zero.”

About Forth Ports

Forth Ports Limited owns and operates eight commercial ports in the UK – Tilbury on the Thames, Dundee on the Firth of Tay and six on the Firth of Forth – Leith, Grangemouth, Rosyth, Methil, Burntisland and Kirkcaldy.

Within and around the Firths of Forth and Tay, Forth Ports manages and operates an area of 280 square miles of navigable waters, including two specialised marine terminals for oil and gas export and provides other marine services, such as towage and conservancy.

Forth Ports is preparing a bid for a Firth of Forth Green Port, targeting clean growth, high-value manufacturing and processing across a number of the Group’s assets including the ports of Leith and Grangemouth. Other industrial complexes and development areas are under consideration. More details will follow as the bidding process progresses later in the year. www.forthports.co.uk

About EnBW

With over 24,000 employees, EnBW is one of the largest energy companies in Germany and Europe. It supplies around 5.5 million customers with electricity, gas, water as well as services and products in the areas of infrastructure and energy. The expansion of renewable energies is a cornerstone of the growth strategy and a focus of investment. EnBW will invest around 4 billion euros in the further expansion of wind and solar energy by 2025. By the end of 2025, more than half of the generation portfolio is to consist of renewable energies. This is already having a noticeable effect on reducing CO2 emissions, which EnBW aims to halve by 2030. EnBW is aiming for climate neutrality by 2035. www.enbw.com

About bp

bp’s ambition is to become a net zero company by 2050 or sooner and to help the world get to net zero. We’re working hard to make our North Sea business the safest in the region and even more efficient and sustainable, deploying some of the latest technologies to reduce emissions offshore. It’s a challenge our people thrive on, knowing that the energy generated in the north-east of Scotland is helping to keep our company on a strong footing to help fund increased investment in low carbon activities. bp’s strategy will see us pivot from an international oil company to an integrated energy company, increasingly investing in low carbon solutions.

For more information visit www.bp.com

PR: Port of Leith

PB: Following a tour of the port on a Forth Ports tug vessel sagte das Minister*innen