News that Danish investors plan to build a giant battery farm near Glasgow has been hailed by John Swinney although the scheme will probably do little to boost the SNP Government’s woeful record on green jobs.

The First Minister was delighted last week when Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners confirmed it would go ahead with a plan to build what will be one of Europe’s biggest battery storage systems on the site of the former Coalburn opencast coal mine in South Lanarkshire.

The investment firm will also develop a similar facility near Kincardine in Fife under a plan that will involve total investment of £800m.

The announcement was seized on by Mr Swinney as he tries to boost hopes that Scotland will at last get the green jobs that the SNP has promised since Alex Salmond became first minister in 2007.

The news came as the SNP Government plays for time as it tries to come up with an improved plan to support a just transition from dependence on fossil fuels in Scotland.

READ MORE: SNP Government enjoys unearned renewables boost after lost year

Supporters say battery storage plants of the kind that Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners is developing will provide vital support for the net zero drive. The plants can be used to store renewable energy generated at times of low demand for use when required. This can help to tackle the challenge posed by the fact that the output of windfarms is dependent on the weather.

Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners said that, combined with a plant it is already developing at Coalburn, the battery farms will be able to supply enough power to meet the requirements of “over 4.5 million households across a two-hour period”.

Mr Swinney said the construction of the plants would provide a significant contribution to the growth of Scotland’s energy transition infrastructure.

He claimed: “By helping to supply reliable and secure power to our homes and businesses,........

© Herald Scotland