Shetland windfarm - Viking Energy

[PJ of Hildisvik]

It may be the right place for the goverment, but it's not for us here, we'd be inside it, and you just can't get in a car and drive up the motorway and escape it.

Global warming is a looming big problem, that 's causing a very big headache for goverments who have to way up the cost of tackling climate change, whils't still maintaining a life style that the electorate is used to.

It's a totally un-sustainable future.

The best way Shetland could contribute to climate change would be to leave the peat banks undisturbed, but that doesn't bring the cash in.

Theres a long way to go with this Debate!

[eastendpar]

Very interesting report on wind farms and continuity of supply.

 

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/03/wind_power_needs_dirty_pricey_gas_backup_report/

 

especially the bit on page 2

"There is no moment in time when the output of the pool falls to zero."

 

not quite true as

"Sometimes it's less than zero, though. It was during the nasty calm of 2006, for instance:

 

The [output of the UK's real-world] wind farms monitored by the National Grid [from 5-6 pm on February 2nd 2006] is shown as negative as the consumption of electricity used by these wind farms (to drive auxiliary loads) exceeded the total output."

[MuckleJoannie]

Green light for massive wind farm

 

Plans to build Europe's largest onshore wind farm in South Lanarkshire have been approved by Scottish ministers.

 

The 152-turbine Clyde wind farm near Abington, will be capable of powering up to 320,000 homes.

 

The £600m scheme from Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) is expected to create 200 jobs during construction, with 30 staff employed on completion.

[Grafter]

quote="MuckleJoannie"]Green light for massive wind farm

Plans to build Europe's largest onshore wind farm in South Lanarkshire have been approved by Scottish ministers.

 

The 152-turbine Clyde wind farm near Abington, will be capable of powering up to 320,000 homes.

 

The £600m scheme from Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) is expected to create 200 jobs during construction, with 30 staff employed on completion.

 

It is a bit more sensible to approve wind farms near where the power is needed.

 

As far as the Shetland windfarm goes I see the interconnector cable survey is underway off Weisdale Voe. I am surprised that VE have not heralded this in some way. They seem to be keeping a very low profile at the moment. They are probably going to rush through the planning process as fast as possible in an attempt to minimise opposition.

[PJ of Hildisvik]

VE seem to have left the planet(one could only hope), had no email responses etc, using the time of year, hoildays etc to push forward behind the backs of the Shetland people.

Can't trust them..Don't trust them.

[cheryl.hughson]

Yep, I noticed the survey's going on at Weisdale Voe, but wasn't entirely sure if it was in connection with the cable. They're giving it a good and thorough surveying.

 

Funny how quiet they've been keeping it. Not the way to win the public's vote.

[Frogger]

Hi guys, first post although I must admit I have been reading this forum for ages now!

 

There have been two survey boats active to the west of Shetland and in Weisdale Voe for the last few weeks. The larger of the two the Franklin is doing the deep sea survey and the smaller boat Ping is doing the surveys in shallower areas that the big one can't. The reason that Viking energy has been very quiet about this is that this piece of the whole project is run by SHETL the SSE power distribution team. Who incidentally have not been shouting it from the roof tops either! Viking Energy have been extremely quiet ever since a very provocative letter in the Shetland Times a few weeks ago which got a large response from some of the people it was berating. One wonders if the author of the letter has been told by higher powers to keep it zipped for a while? It almost looked like he was a Sustainable Shetland double agent for a while!

[Njugle]

Welcome to the forum Frogger. Always good when a self-confessed lurker comes oot.

 

Thank you for posting the information about the survey. Though there can't be many people in a position to know, it would be interesting to hear if they spent as much time in Sand Sound as they did in Weisdale Voe (As per the hypothesis that they are more likely to choose land-fall there than in the more populated weisdale area, though the former has been stated as a secondary option for a back-up cable or the like. They may, of course, use both). In fact it would also be interesting to know how extensively the covered Weisdale, if they surveyed west and east or just the favoured west coast, anybody?

[Frogger]

Hi Njugle

 

All that I know about the cable(s) is that SHETL were aiming to go up the East side of the Weisdale valley but when they were doing their 'consultation' SEPA came to the Weisdale hall and told them they would be very against the cable crossing the Kergord burn. Therefore they are investigating the West side of the voe instead. This is less favourable mainly because it has far more houses and landowners to get permission from the smaller landowners being more likely to object to them crossing their land than the bigger three that own the land on the East side. They are also investigating Sandsound because they have to because it was brought up at the consultation. Just the same protocol that they have to investigate putting the massive converter station at Setter in Weisdale because again the said landlord 'offered' them his ground! It turns out even though they probably wont put the converter station there but it could be the site of a huge laydown yard.

 

Just another example of how this whole project will impact severely on the lives of people living in the once peaceful countryside. Also an example of how it will rip communities apart when landowners and their neighbours fall out over the sites of turbines, substations, powerlines, quarries, widened roads etc,etc.....

 

The other point that will need to be cleared up is that there still hasn't been a decision by the regulators whether there has to be one,two or three cables to the mainland. I believe Viking Energy are campaigning for one because that will reduce the cost of transporting energy down the cables therefore making it more profitable, but leaving us in a more financially vulnerable position in the case of a break. It also means that we will not be able to get rid of the power station because the population would be a risk of a winter long blackout if the cable broke in bad weather.

 

There is still so much information that is not in the public domain (partner ship agreement terms and conditions for example) that should be and Viking Energy are supposed to be going for planning later this summer. What can be done to stop this or at least make the councillors forget the pounds for a while and really consider whether this is really as 'green' as they think it is. If wind energy was 100% reliable and didn't need 100% backup then it would be a lot easier to swallow as you at least try to convince yourselves that Shetland was doing its bit for climate change and the rest of Britain.

[Muppet]

Here's a recent report from the Western Isles on a wave generator. I still feel tidal should have the best potential, but good to see the alternatives are still being actively developed.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7532510.stm

[ArabiaTerra]

Here's a recent report from the Western Isles on a wave generator. I still feel tidal should have the best potential, but good to see the alternatives are still being actively developed.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7532510.stm

 

Just imagine, the whole coastline of the west and north of Scotland covered in concrete blockhouses , I would rather have the windmills.

 

I think there would be as much opposition to these thing being deployed in significant numbers as there is to the windfarm, and with more reason. To get any significant amount of power would require thousands of the things, and they can't be scaled up as there is only a finite amount of energy extractable from each wave. Fine for small scale local generation, but insignificant in the big picture.

 

I do agree that in the long term, tidal is the way to go, but I still think we need the windfarm in the short to medium term.

[mgb2010]

Ignoring the rights or wrongs of the wind farm, please could someone clarify when the decision was made to proceed with the proposal and begin the planning process? And whom made/approved this decision?

 

I thought the whole Viking energy scheme was supposed to be a research project to develop option(s) for the council? If planning permission is now being sought, one must assume that a decision has been taken on said options?

[Fjool]

Talking completely out of my rear here, but isn't it the case that one could apply for outline planning permission well in advance of actually being ready to construct anything? This way, if planning is refused, one has the information up front. No point proceeding until some kind of outline agreement has been received on the broad concept.

 

No idea whether this is the case with the VE project or not but I suspect that the planning issues under investigation are all part of the options process.

[PJ of Hildisvik]

An agreement for the proposal was signed in 2006.

It is a 50/50 joint project between VE (subsidiary of shet-charitable trust) and SSE Generation Ltd (subsidiary of Scottish and Southern Energy Ltd)

It apparently will be a few months yet until the EIA (enviromental impact assesment) will be available for us lot to see, then it goes to planning, how long we get to deliberate over it is another matter, the ordinary folk in the street won't have a clue about all the detail in it, it will be very detailed material on all aspects of the natural enviroment in the proposed site area and outwith.

Then it goes to the Scottish Gov who will have the final say, OH JOY, OH JOY!!

The last figure of money spent so far on this so called proposal was £1.6 million, a couple of months ago, i believe their willing to spend 3 million, looking in to it ...proposal my ASS!

[Carlos]

lots of money, but probably less in % terms than you spend to get planning permission on a house.......