The SNP Government has received another boost from Westminster as it tries to deliver the long-awaited green jobs boom although its decision to abandon the oil and gas industry could come back to haunt ministers.

As the wait for the overdue publication of the Scottish Government’s energy strategy drags on, the Labour Government has made a move that could kick start work on major developments that have been in planning for ages.

The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has said it intends to introduce a support regime for investment in long duration energy storage. It claims this will “unlock billions in funding for vital projects which will help create thousands of jobs and deliver clean power as the country accelerates to net zero”.

The decision was announced two weeks after the UK Infrastructure Bank agreed to provide up to £87 million towards the cost of a subsea cable plant in Ayrshire.

The cap and collar scheme concerned will guarantee a minimum, collar, price for the energy firms supply from long duration schemes such as pumped storage hydropower developments. If the market price exceeds the cap plant operators will have to pay over any excess revenues.

A range of pumped storage schemes are under development in Scotland that will follow the approach pioneered at the ‘Hollow Mountain’ plant at Cruachan in the Argyll hills. This works by using the flow of water between a reservoir and Loch Awe to power turbines that can generate energy when needed.

Champions say pumped storage hydropower could help overcome the problems caused by the fact that windfarm output is dependent on the weather. The UK has spent a fortune paying windfarm operators not to generate power in times of low demand because it can’t be stored currently.

READ MORE: SNP Government green jobs failure seen in English city's success

The cap and collar scheme could address a major challenge that is holding back developments that require huge upfront investment.

The Coire Glas scheme that SSE plans to develop on the shores of Loch Lochy in the Highlands will cost around £1.5 billion. The Scottish giant has said it will not go........

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