Shetland windfarm - Viking Energy

[hoosn]

is more as typical for the self appointed to tell wis whit we want yes, whatever level they opperate at. As far as i can mak oot the Shetland contingent in viking energy are bein taken for a ride by the utility company. Am really no cairn where they put it or if it happens at all , but watchin the common sense aspect not even entering the discussion is frustrating, them that build on sand n paet moor eh? lol

[ArabiaTerra]

Yep, delled a lot o paet oot o Scousburgh Hill wi my Dad back in da fifties & sixties so haad my haands up !

Thenadays Virdifield ( at foot of hill ) was full up with no further banks available.

I think the erosion is down to peat cutting back over the centuries ( remember this was practically the only source of fuel for the whole Ness area from here and south. )

We cut our peats up where BTI stuck there trans horizon dishes, not much erosion up there but don't think there's been much change over the years on the lower eastern slopes.

Still think absoloute lunacy for VE to go ahead with this among all this peat when plenty of alternative sites.

I was at one of the meetings where someone was talking about the selection of the site. I think it was the public meeting at the Town Hall, but I might be wrong about that. Anyway, the reason the current site was chosen was because it was the part of Shetland which had the least protected areas such as archaeological sites, SSSI's, rare birds, etc, there was basically nothing there (at least compared to other parts of Shetland). Unst, on the other hand was covered with such sites, ditto Fetlar. Of course, what they find when they start digging might change that but there will presumably, be archaeologists on hand during the work to keep tabs on this.

 

Another thing about the chosen site, is that it was actually identified by the SIC as being the best place for a large windfarm years before VE was even created.

I think the point VE keeps makin is that if they dunna go ahead and use wir money in da process then the big utilities will go ahead onywye and we will get nae benefits at all. Dat's whit dey whit lik wiz poor peasants tae tink !

This is a very good point. The worst thing that could happen is that we manage to knock back VE, then in a few years, when the government finds they are going to miss their targets for renewables, they force the thing through anyway and we get nothing. Remember, the next government will be a Tory one, barring some miracle. Do you really think they will give a sh*t about Shetland? The climate change targets are set in law now, so this is a very real possibility.

[stilldellin]

AT wrote :-

Another thing about the chosen site, is that it was actually identified by the SIC as being the best place for a large windfarm years before VE was even created.

 

.....Identified by the SIC . Oh dear !! , so there is a good chance that an ar*e has been made of the whole project from day one !

Also, I wonder why VE have not applied for planning permission for wind monitoring on alternative sites ?. Sounds all cut and dried to me.

[paulb]

was that because they own most of it.

[ArabiaTerra]

The new VE website is now up and running:

 

http://www.vikingenergy.co.uk/

[ArabiaTerra]

was that because they own most of it.

I was at one of the meetings where someone was talking about the selection of the site. I think it was the public meeting at the Town Hall, but I might be wrong about that. Anyway, the reason the current site was chosen was because it was the part of Shetland which had the least protected areas such as archaeological sites, SSSI's, rare birds, etc, there was basically nothing there (at least compared to other parts of Shetland). Unst, on the other hand was covered with such sites, ditto Fetlar. Of course, what they find when they start digging might change that but there will presumably, be archaeologists on hand during the work to keep tabs on this.

[stilldellin]

Yep had a quick look at these SSSI's and as AT says Fetlar which would have been ideal is a write-off. ( God knows why ! ).

Unst, although has quite a few sites still looks fairly feasable and also as I said earlier nice sheltered water at Belmont for the interconnector and link up to the tidal turbines when they come.

[unlinkedstudent]

The new VE website is now up and running:

 

http://www.vikingenergy.co.uk/

 

Well, it still pretty poo. Same goes for their Facebook page - blimey, my Facebook page has had more hits than VE's (and I've got more "friends")

[hoosn]

i know theres a lot of legislation rgarding crofters (each having hill rights) after the last scottish tyranny, supposedly protecting them from being railroaded again. Whats the set up wi them bein able to vito ? . I have a strong suspicion that the scattald shareholders in the proposed area are all quite happy, but if they weren't ???

[stilldellin]

Haed a look at their site wi aa the pretty picters taen among da rolling hills at Whitelee ( nae access problems yunder ! )

Bottom of the key facts page in small writing, costs in the area of 800 million !!. They must be joking, mair lik two billion I wid tink.

And can someone remind me whit wir contribution is ?

[ArabiaTerra]

This is something new, anyone know any more details?

[JAStewart]

The new VE website is now up and running:

 

http://www.vikingenergy.co.uk/

 

Well, it still pretty poo. Same goes for their Facebook page - blimey, my Facebook page has had more hits than VE's (and I've got more "friends")

Westlife have sold millions of albums.

 

'Nuff said.

[unlinkedstudent]

^^^ Ha, but Westlife have over 200,000 fans/friends on their Facebook page compared to three on Viking Energy. Crumbs, don't tell me that VE are planning to launch an album of noise recordings from the wind turbines too in order to boost their "estimated" profits?

[justsomeguy]

The VE Facebook page has 265 members which is quite a significant amount of support. In fact, the support for this project is almost unprecidented in terms of windfarm developments.

 

there really is no need to be so petty, if you aren't a supporter then that's fine - is there any need to be so childish about the debate?

[Njugle]

This is something new, anyone know any more details?

 

The grid has been spoken about for a couple of years, I may have even mentioned it once or twice The platform is a new one on me though. What this means in one respect though is that the whole interconnector justification needs re-adjusting, as Shetland would be linking to the platform rather than the mainland directly, which would mean substantially less bespoke cost and hence a reduction in turbine numbers required.