Shetland windfarm - Viking Energy

[unlinkedstudent]

I agree in an ideal scenario we'd all have a say but for now we just have to rely on our MPs to represent our interests.

 

And your MP would say it was a matter for the Scottish Parliament, and not Westminster.

[PJ of Hildisvik]

@hjasga, our MP'S have been for it all along.

Everybody should of had a vote, it's bloody disgraceful, it's Shetland public money being gambled.

[MuckleJoannie]

The Charitable Trust still has to put up the money. The SIC election will also be an election for Charitable Trustees so ask your prospective councillors where they stand on the issue.

[hjasga]

I agree in an ideal scenario we'd all have a say but for now we just have to rely on our MPs to represent our interests.

 

And your MP would say it was a matter for the Scottish Parliament, and not Westminster.

 

I almost typed it as M(S)P because I knew, this being the internet, we'd have some needless pedantry. The point was more than clear enough.

[hjasga]

@hjasga, our MP'S have been for it all along.

Everybody should of had a vote, it's bloody disgraceful, it's Shetland public money being gambled.

 

This is just the same argument. I'm not saying in an ideal world we shouldn't have a vote on the issue - I'm saying I'm not aware of it happening before and highly doubt it's a viable option.

[PJ of Hildisvik]

@hjasga.....whether it's been done before or not, it just proves the SNP are un-democratic when it comes to major decisions like this.

[hjasga]

SNP BxxxxxDS.

 

End of tourism full stop.

 

New sentence. Probably not. Full stop. New sentence. Some people actually admire wind turbines. Full stop.

[hjasga]

@hjasga.....whether it's been done before or not, it just proves the SNP are un-democratic when it comes to major decisions like this.

 

SNP and every other party ever to govern in the UK.

[unlinkedstudent]

^ Just out of interest, this is to those in favour of the windfarm:

 

Did you expect the number of jobs after construction to be higher than 34?

 

Not that I'm being pedantic or anything, just wondered if VE had made this figure known before they got approval, whether or not it would have swayed your opinion.

[Kavi Ugl]

Well, if you read the letters on the Shetland Times website you'll see exactly what many people fear - i.e it'll open the flood gates to more - because there's a guy who'd like to see it extended to Bressay. This might be laughable in terms of Bressay but sadly it shows exactly how some people are thinking.

 

Oh, and incase anybody missed it, there was a private application a few months ago on the SIC planning website for a test mast in Cunningsburgh.

 

I personally think that the terrain in Shetland will prove to be a nightmare for the VE project.

[crofter]

I agree in an ideal scenario we'd all have a say but for now we just have to rely on our MPs to represent our interests.

 

And your MP would say it was a matter for the Scottish Parliament, and not Westminster.

 

I almost typed it as M(S)P because I knew, this being the internet, we'd have some needless pedantry. The point was more than clear enough.

 

Interesting comment from Tavish Scott

“The only comment I can make is that, given the Scottish Government’s demanding targets for renewable energy I can’t say I’m surprised that they have approved the Viking windfarm proposal.â€

[hjasga]

I agree in an ideal scenario we'd all have a say but for now we just have to rely on our MPs to represent our interests.

 

And your MP would say it was a matter for the Scottish Parliament, and not Westminster.

 

I almost typed it as M(S)P because I knew, this being the internet, we'd have some needless pedantry. The point was more than clear enough.

 

Interesting comment from Tavish Scott

“The only comment I can make is that, given the Scottish Government’s demanding targets for renewable energy I can’t say I’m surprised that they have approved the Viking windfarm proposal.â€

 

Does sound rather negative on his part.

 

"Demanding targets for renewable energy" sound fantastic to me. Samsø is a wonderful model to follow.

 

[JustMe]

One aspect bothers me. The windfarm project was given the go ahead by the Scottish Ministers largely on the grounds that the SIC had supported the application. That is giving a lot of power to 22 individuals so I am left wondering what would happen if the new council decided they did not like the idea.

[ArabiaTerra]

Seen this on YouTube the other night -

 

Seems ridiculously simple, but claims 3-4x the output (so cheaper than nuclear), lower noise, and can be netted to prevent birds casualties.

 

Looks like a good idea. But... it's still at the prototype stage, so will need several years of further development to achieve the up-scaling needed to make it a viable replacement for the VE turbines, if it can be up-scaled.

 

@hjasga, our MP'S have been for it all along.

Everybody should of had a vote, it's bloody disgraceful, it's Shetland public money being gambled.

 

You did get a vote, when Billy stood for MSP. And I would like to note that he was beaten 2/3 to 1/3 by Tavish. Surely, if there really was the majority opposition you've always claimed, he should have won?

 

I still do belive that the public of Shetland have no idea how vast and enviromentally destructive this project will be.

 

It's funny to see you acknowledge that all the apocalyptic ranting of "sustainable" Shetland over the last 5 years or so seems to have had no effect.

 

You can bet your life if Sustainable Shetland had done a referendum the windfarm supporters would of said that it had been rigged

 

And if VE had organised a referendum, you would have been screaming about how it was rigged.

 

^ Just out of interest, this is to those in favour of the windfarm:

 

Did you expect the number of jobs after construction to be higher than 34?

 

Not that I'm being pedantic or anything, just wondered if VE had made this figure known before they got approval, whether or not it would have swayed your opinion.

 

I always knew that the number of people directly employed by VE would be quite small. But I also know that the number of jobs created by other renewables projects enabled by the interconnector and the jobs created by the general increase of revenue to the CT and the resultant spending this will make possible will be much larger.

 

Take note that our wind is too strong and that the maintenance costs will be higher.

 

Yep, just like Burradale, which despite recurrent gearbox problems still managed to pay off it's initial investment years ahead of schedule and achieve an overall efficiency of 52% over the last 10 years, making it the most efficient windfarm on the planet!

 

Take note that as outlined in the excellent youchoob clip above, the proposed turbines are already outdated.

 

See above.

 

Hey, why not build just ONE turbine and just see how it behaves and stands up to the elements? You would then see how large it is.

 

I know, why don't we build 5, and test them for 10 years, you know, just to be sure. We could build them at Burradale maybe?

 

[Kevin]

29th September 2009

the Councillors claim that if the Charitable Trust don't invest in this/the Councillors oppose the development, another investor WILL come in, build the wind farm and reap the (questionable) rewards. How can that be? do the SIC or Charitable Trust not own the Busta Estate? if so they could surely refuse to sell their land to other potential developers? this would surely render the development unviable.

 

4th April 2012

Mr Fox said that if elected to the SIC he may press for the local authority to “render this project unviable†by withdrawing its Busta Estate land from the project.

 

This is wir last (slim) chance I fear, as I suggested about 30 months ago. If you want tae stop this ask your prospective councillors where they stand on VE and vote accordingly.