A Fife councillor has expressed concern for the future of the region’s flagship energy park amid claims the Scottish Government has ”backtracked” on renewable energy commitments.
Tom Adams, Labour’s spokesman for energy and the environment on the local authority, said recent announcements by the SNP Government had raised questions about the viability of the £27 million park at Methil.
These include the decision to replace Cockenzie power station with a gas-fired station and a move by oil giants BP to invest heavily in gas and oil exploration near Shetland.
Methil Energy Park was created to tap into the renewables sector and is already manufacturing products for the offshore wind, wave and tidal power industry.
A planned expansion at the dockside park is expected to result in 800 much-needed jobs by 2019, and a further 400 in the longer term.
However, with promised projects yet to take off, Mr Adams questioned whether the predicted jobs boom would ever become reality.
”Over 800 turbines were promised at the mouth of the Forth by the previous Labour government a figure that was expected to create around 1,200 jobs for the area, although the promised project has yet to take off,” he said.
”We need a commitment by the government that these windfarms around the coast of Britain are going to go ahead as scheduled.”
He added: ”Fife Council is ready to invest in another project for a low-carbon site with the possibility of another 800 jobs by 2018, but we need these jobs now.
”Good-quality, well-paid jobs are vital for my ward, which is one of the most deprived areas in Fife.
”If we are serious about getting rid of the deprivation, low confidence and benefits culture in this ward then we need the energy park to start major production now.”
But the chairman of Levenmouth area committee has poured scorn on Mr Adams’ claims, insisting Methil has a huge part to play in Scotland’s ambitions to become a major European powerhouse.
David Alexander pointed out millions of pounds had been committed by the council and the Scottish Government and said he was confident the promised jobs would materialise within the predicted timescale.
He said: ”The Scottish Government’s targets are the most ambitious in the world and if the jobs are not created within the timescales I would be the first to ask why not.”
Last week the government announced plans to alter levels of support for the renewables industry which could impact on what has been proposed in Fife.
These include increased support for tidal energy but a downgrade in the financial help offered for onshore and offshore wind as well as hydro.
Although the proposals are not predicted to have a huge effect on the industry, sources said anything which reduces confidence to invest could be seen as problematic.
More positively, a Fife bid to receive a share of a £10 million government funding pot to launch an enterprise zone at Methil has been recommended for approval and could result in free or reduced business rates for tenants.
Mr Alexander said confidence was still high that the energy park would thrive and pointed out the bulk of the jobs would not materialise until 2013, as it would take until then to get relevant consents in place.
He said: ”We are in the hands of the business and the world recession but the great thing for the energy park isn’t what’s happening on land, but the Crown Estates’ plan for the North Sea with the building of massive turbines.
”That’s where a lot of the energy park’s work is anticipated to come from.”