Powerfailings

I should like to respond to Ian Moir’s letter “Burning Money” (4 August). He is correct in highlighting the impact of energy costs in an independent Scotland but the scenario he describes is unlikely to happen.

The National Grid has proved to be the most secure and economic way to provide electricity for the past 100 years. For Scotland to withdraw from the UK grid system would be political and economic madness.

It would, however, be better if the National Grid company was brought back into public ownership as a not-for-profitcompany.

More importantly, it is essential that Scotland cooperates in the development of nuclear energy.

It is a matter of urgency that plans be drawn up to replace Hunterston and Torness nuclear power stations before the end of the 2020s.

Without these, Scotland will have to import electricity base load from England and Wales, which may incur higher transmission costs and have higher losses.

Not to replace these will be sure to cause difficulties for the grid. If Scotland hopes to reduce CO2 emissions it will not succeed in minimising these without nuclear energy. For the

Scottish Government to continue to block nuclear plants is also an act of political and economic madness.

C. SCOTT Mortonhall Road, Edinburgh

The average electricity demand in Scotland is 4,000MW for every hour of the year. When the wind is blowing and all the Scottish nuclear plant is running, Scotland can meet this demand and export excess to England.

At the start of July, in glorious weather, we do not expect a lack of electricity in Scotland, but that is what happened.

On Wednesday, 4 July there was an area of high atmospheric pressure over Britain with high temperatures and very little wind. The Scottish onshore wind farms could only generate 329MW an hour and the offshore wind farms generated 11MW an hour.

Following many weeks of dry weather, the hydro stations were down at 70MW an hour. One of the reactors at Hunterston was shut down for some months and that day one of the turbines at Torness shut down. The nuclear generation was around 1,100MW an hour.

If we add these figures, Scotland generated 1,510MW against a demand of 4,000MW, which is 38 per cent. Fortunately, there was plenty of supply in England and we were able to import 62 per cent of our demand.

High pressure weather also happens in winter. The nights are long and freezing and the days are short with temperatures struggling to get above freezing. There will be little wind and wind power will be limited. Nuclear reactors shut down occasionally. The demand will be higher than the average figure and England will have the same problems, so it may not be able to bail us out. Buy candles and blankets for all your loved ones this Christmas.

G. P. WILSON Viewforth, Dunbar