MSP’s claim of support for nuclear power in Highlands challenged
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
An anti-nuclear campaigner has hit out at a claim made by Highland MSP Edward Mountain that people in the region want nuclear power.
The Conservative MSP hosted an energy summit in Strathpeffer last Friday, bringing together industry experts and members of the public.
The aim was to discuss the future of energy production and provision in the Highlands, with panellists including representatives from SSEN, Storegga, Highland Fuels, Highland Renewables, and the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association.
More than 70 people attended the Let’s Talk Energy Summit at Strathpeffer Pavilion.
Mr Mountain, who convenes the Scottish parliament’s Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee, said that these contributors would be useful to inform his work at Holyrood.
He said that people at the summit wanted to see a mixture of different energy systems, including nuclear, rather than just renewables.
“I was excited to host this well-attended event in Strathpeffer alongside an experienced panel of five industry professionals where we discussed the many complexities of renewable energy,” Mr Mountain said.
“I was interested to note the near-unanimous support for nuclear energy throughout the audience as part of our energy mix in the Highlands, and I feel that we ought to look at developing our power closer to where it is going to be used.
“People in the Highlands understand better than anyone the need for different energy sources, as well as energy security.
“However, these communities won’t be walked over when it comes to infrastructure, and big companies need to understand that they must be honest about what they are planning in the medium and long-term.”
Tor Justad, chairperson of Highlands Against Nuclear Power (HANP), challenged the assertion that the support for nuclear at the summit reflected public opinion.
He said: “In a recent survey, 62 per cent of the Scottish population supported renewable energy over nuclear.
“There may have been ‘near unanimous’ support from a handful of organisations and public at the ‘Energy Summit’ held in Strathpeffer recently, but presumably they weren't provided with any downsides to nuclear.
“If HANP had been invited we could have provided a long list of reasons why nuclear has no place either in energy production or reaching a net zero target.
“A few of these include cost - as producing electricity through nuclear is three times as expensive as renewables; and the risks at all stages, including decommissioning, as we know from radioactive particles on shores near Dounreay, sodium tank leaks and previous accidents involving the shaft and silo.
“Nuclear is not clean as uranium has to be mined and there are massive carbon emissions during the average 13-year construction period of a nuclear plant.
“So the claim that Highlanders want nuclear power has no basis in fact and any support is likely to come from nuclear employees at Dounreay and their supporters, where it is claimed that the clean-up will take another 40 years at a cost to taxpayers of a staggering £8.7 billion - so not much chance of cheaper electricity any time soon.
“HANP will continue to actively oppose any new nuclear proposals for the Highlands, any part of Scotland and in other parts of the UK together with fellow NGO's opposed to new nuclear.”
