Shetland windfarm - Viking Energy

[crofter]

It wouldn't happen. I'm sure. For two reasons. One is expense - putting a nuclear power station in Shetland would cost far more than doing it south, simply in terms of getting materials, labour here, and putting in the neccessary cable.

 

The same argument re cost can be made against the Viking Energy project: why not build it somewhere in the North of Scotland? Also, if VE goes ahead, the cable will already be there...

[Malachy]

It wouldn't happen. I'm sure. For two reasons. One is expense - putting a nuclear power station in Shetland would cost far more than doing it south, simply in terms of getting materials, labour here, and putting in the neccessary cable.

 

The same argument re cost can be made against the Viking Energy project: why not build it somewhere in the North of Scotland? Also, if VE goes ahead, the cable will already be there...

 

But the Viking Energy project was instigated, at least in part, by people within Shetland, because Shetland has more wind than anywhere else in Europe. I don't think a nuclear power station ever would be instigated from here. Plus, as mentioned above, the VE cable will be able to carry the power from the windfarm and no more.

[Sudden Stop]

As has already been said, the reason for putting a windfarm in Shetland is that the wind is more useable than the scottish mainland, so much so, that it more than compenstates for the loses in transmission. A nuclear power station would produce no more electricity here than anywhere less but WOULD lose some in the cable. If the government DO decide to replace the old reactors they would more than likely build new ones on the original sites, thats where they are already accepted and that's where the staff and infrastrucure already are. There will not be a nuclear power station in shetland after the cable is installed - anybody that says otherwise is just trying to find excuses to stop the windfarm. If there are any concerns involving the cable, it's that other windfarms could take advantage of it without being for the Shetland community's benefit. The Islands could end up littered with them....

[clanchief]

Concerning potential independence, so what if the entire Shetland electorate voted unanimously to be independent, where do we take it from there without UK cooperation, declare UDI? Raise our own military forces and prepare to repel boarders from the rest of the UK? I am very probably wrong, but I cannot think of any realistic options to enforce our wishes should Westminster decide to ignore us.

 

I suspect Westminster would have serious trouble trying to hold on to Shetland if the islands demanded independence. I really cannot see them sending in the tanks over it. These days they would be hard pressed to find an excuse for saying no.

 

You have all been reading Baron Ravenstone's new book about Carp !!

[Seahorse]

To completely change the subject but still about the proposed wind farms:

 

I would like to see the SIC, Viking Energy and Scottish and Southern Energy invest in establishing a Training Scheme or Apprenticeship program for the young people of Shetland.

 

After it is built, the wind farm will provide approx 50 jobs in the Islands (we are told) working with High Voltage and in the case of the Inter-connector Ultra-High Voltage. These jobs are highly skilled and specialised, requiring years of training over and above that already required for a domestic electrician.

 

The young people of Shetland should be encouraged to stay in the Islands and this could be an opportunity for some to earn a good wage.

 

Lets face it, the windfarm may be their legacy from us.

 

The Oil Companies created training schemes with a view to employ local people at Sullom Voe. Many young Shetlanders of the '70s & '80s have gone on to spent their whole working life at the terminal. (need I mention the wealth this has generated?!).

 

Should the youth of today not be assisted and encouraged in the same way??

Bearing in mind, they may be about to spent their entire adult life in a very different Shetland from the one we have been used to.

[Sudden Stop]

I would like to see the SIC, Viking Energy and Scottish and Southern Energy invest in establishing a Training Scheme or Apprenticeship program for the young people of Shetland.

 

After it is built, the wind farm will provide approx 50 jobs in the Islands (we are told) working with High Voltage and in the case of the Inter-connector Ultra-High Voltage.

 

I think there will be a fair amount of staff recruited from the existing power station but there will have to be a new intake of staff from somewhere. Starting a scheme sooner rather than later would be a great idea. Of course, a committment to train young people at this stage is unlikely but once planning permission is granted I think it should be a high priority.

[Sudden Stop]

I went to the Burradale open day yesterday, very interesting. With it being a very calm day, only a few knots of wind while we were there, the turbines were just barely ticking over. At times they weren't producing power but you could see on the computer inside the amount of power being consumed. About 3kw. Not a lot really and whenever the wind picked, there was an encouraging increase in the 'swooshing' sound and then you could see the power being generated on the display.

 

If you click on the 'road conditions' link on the side of the window here, you can see in real time what the wind conditions are like at various points. I would love to be able to click on a link that could show the power currently being produced along with the wind at a wind turbine in Shetland. A previous 24 hour graph would be good too. Anybody at Burradale reading this that feels like installing the equipement and software, it would be most welcome.

 

(a bit of an anorak type of thing to ask for, I know. Don't bully me....)

[Tomblands]

**Edit**

 

What I said was already covered in the other thread. Nevermind.

[greenheatman]

.........but you could see on the computer inside the amount of power being consumed. About 3kw. Not a lot really and whenever the wind picked, there was an encouraging increase in the 'swooshing' sound and then you could see the power being generated on the display.

 

The computer inside was actually telling you what the mechanical power on the main rotor shaft is any point in time whether it is being driven by the wind or electric motor. The shaft was being turned by the generator with mains power being supplied so that it acted as a motor. This is done so that when the wind does blow harder the blades are already turning so as to catch the wind. The blades are not self-starting.

 

The power meter shown to you has nothing to do with electrical power!

[Sudden Stop]

The power meter shown to you has nothing to do with electrical power!

 

So when the wind was light and the meter was negative 3kw and when the wind picked up (only very slighly by the way) the machine went into positive numbers, you are telling me that the whole time it was using electricity from the grid?????????????????

[greenheatman]

The power meter shown to you has nothing to do with electrical power!

 

So when the wind was light and the meter was negative 3kw and when the wind picked up (only very slighly by the way) the machine went into positive numbers, you are telling me that the whole time it was using electricity from the grid?????????????????

 

Yep, that's right when the wind spins the high speed generator shaft 1% faster than the synchronous speed of the generator, lines of magnetic force are cut and it starts to generate electricity. Faraday called it emf (electro-motive-force) but we call it voltage now.

[Malachy]

Actually, so far as I was aware, EMF and voltage are distinct from each other.

[greenheatman]

Actually, so far as I was aware, EMF and voltage are distinct from each other.

 

http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/elevol.html

[Malachy]

So, EMF is voltage, but voltage is not necessarily EMF, right? That would seem to be a distinction to me.

[DavidThomson]

Wow.

Turn your back for a minute… Got the Shetland Life at the weekend and was prompted to log back on. I had not perhaps expected all this.

Firstly; Glad to see Mr Dobson online. We don’t agree on the project but everyone is entitled to their opinion.

Secondly; There seems to be three distinct conversations going on in this thread. Would it be possible for the site people to consider separating these into ‘windfarm’, ‘climate change’ and ‘greenheatman’? Part of this seems to have started itself but perhaps some conversation could be extracted?

 

I think a lot of little messages might be better than one big one but before I look at some of the questions/comments, a quick reiteration. The Viking Windfarm is only an idea. This is not a done deal. We have been consulting about an opportunity. We are not even at a stage to have a finished windfarm design. We have done years of work to develop the idea to a stage where people can talk about it but we do not have all the information. Some information cannot be produced until we are much further down the process. The Environmental Impact Assessment in particular cannot be produced until we fix a turbine layout. The 192 red (now green) dots published are not a turbine layout. They are a consultation layout showing places someone could put turbines. The feedback from the consultation process will help us decide what a final turbine layout should look like. I think we have caught people out with how early in the process we are speaking about this. There is a long way to go yet so the debate will run and run.