Alex Salmond's fantasy of a tidal-powered Scotland washed away ? The Register
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One of Alex Salmond's ambitious dreams for an independent Scotland - that it would soon become rich by exporting clean green electricity pouring from tidal powerplants in the Pentland Firth - has been destroyed this week by new research showing that the Firth's potential output is far less than Salmond had thought.
The wild-eyed Scots politico, announcing early efforts in the Firth in 2008, went so far as to suggest that not only could Scotland power itself on Pentland 'leccy, but that it would be selling electricity in substantial amounts to less fortunate nations.
"The sort of power that potentially could come from this area is not some hundreds of megawatts, it's not just like one conventional power station, its 20 gigawatts and more than that, that's like 20 conventional power stations," he enthused back in 2008.
"We have to get in a position where we have a supergrid, not just to England but across to Europe to sell that energy to people who need it," added the would-be premier of an independent Scotland.
The wild-eyed Scots politico, announcing early efforts in the Firth in 2008, went so far as to suggest that not only could Scotland power itself on Pentland 'leccy, but that it would be selling electricity in substantial amounts to less fortunate nations.
"The sort of power that potentially could come from this area is not some hundreds of megawatts, it's not just like one conventional power station, its 20 gigawatts and more than that, that's like 20 conventional power stations," he enthused back in 2008.
"We have to get in a position where we have a supergrid, not just to England but across to Europe to sell that energy to people who need it," added the would-be premier of an independent Scotland.
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