Shetland windfarm - Viking Energy

[Skunnered]

^^That certainly brings it to life!

Actually, looks not a bad place for it. Perhaps they should put one up there?

[ArabiaTerra]

^^^^ I don't have a problem with that.

 

Though Lerwick will be getting it's share of windmills if the proposed district heating ones go ahead at Rova Head. They won't be quite as big as the VE turbines, but pretty close.

[unlinkedstudent]

^^^^ I don't have a problem with that.

 

Though Lerwick will be getting it's share of windmills if the proposed district heating ones go ahead at Rova Head. They won't be quite as big as the VE turbines, but pretty close.

 

You gonna stick one that big in your back garden then AT? Bet your neighbours wouldn't object to the noise at all.

[Skunnered]

What noise? Just a gentle purr, and the occasional soothing swoosh!

[ArabiaTerra]

^^^^ I don't have a problem with that.

 

Though Lerwick will be getting it's share of windmills if the proposed district heating ones go ahead at Rova Head. They won't be quite as big as the VE turbines, but pretty close.

 

You gonna stick one that big in your back garden then AT? Bet your neighbours wouldn't object to the noise at all.

A back garden? Wow, that would be nice. *sigh*

 

(Though I'm sure it would be better than some of the noises that come from my neighbours.)

[KTL]

I wonder if North Isles councillors have twigged that if the windfarm was ever to go ahead, their constituents will face up to 5 years of road closures, diversions and delays as they try to get up and down to Lerwick?

Josie Simpson, Laura Baisley and Robert Henderson think on.

 

Construction traffic, plant and equipment movements will continue 7 days a week 52 weeks a year for up to 5 years.

 

The Lang Kames is the main route North and South. It will also be the main arterial route for all construction traffic. Diversions will be via Nesting or via Voe to Eid and back through Weisdale.

 

Every time there is a serious accident on the Lang Kames, this is what happens. Thankfully those occasions are rare, and accidental. Imagine if these closures were deliberate and with official permission. Will Viking Energy compensate you for your extra fuel costs, lost business, missed appointments? I doubt it.

[stilldellin]

Here is a picture of a convoy of turbine blades ( peerie 40 metre wans ) passing through Edenfield on their way to Scout Moor Wind Farm in England so dat wid be 3x127 =381 lorry trips for the blades only. Just imagine dis lot turnin Wast at da Halfway Hoose !

http://i1207.photobucket.com/albums/bb479/beenister/TurbineBladeConvoy.jpg

Perhaps our councillors will bear this in mind next time they do a reality check. !

[Kavi Ugl]

A lot of focus is on the construction(and rightly so) but what will happen to all the roads and turbine bases they built after the life of the wind farm?.

 

Accordimg to the planning report too little info has been given, in particular, on the left over bases.

 

It is quite simply the industrialisation of the central mainland. And if it goes ahead it will open the floodgates to more wind farms/schemes the length and breath of Shetland with that French company already eyeing up land in Yell.

 

I'd also like to know what this infamous "lifestyle that we've all become accustomed to" it's supposed to maintain is.

[ArabiaTerra]

A lot of focus is on the construction(and rightly so) but what will happen to all the roads and turbine bases they built after the life of the wind farm?.

 

Accordimg to the planning report too little info has been given, in particular, on the left over bases.

As far as I know, they will simply be left in place.

 

It is quite simply the industrialisation of the central mainland. And if it goes ahead it will open the floodgates to more wind farms/schemes the length and breath of Shetland with that French company already eyeing up land in Yell.

There will only be a small amount of capacity left on the interconnector, so any further development will be limited. And anyway, "sustainable" Shetland's solution is thousands of small windmills, everywhere. Which would you rather have?

 

I'd also like to know what this infamous "lifestyle that we've all become accustomed to" it's supposed to maintain is.

Decent roads, leisure centres, swimming pools, superb facilities for the old, properly equipped schools, subsidised ferries, money available for investment in local businesses and industry. Do I need to go on?

[paulb]

stilldellin i know that junction well we used to live just up the road. im very surprised that they managed to turn them there. its a very nasty junction.

is there any reason that they could not improve the junction and roads if needs be.

[stilldellin]

stilldellin i know that junction well we used to live just up the road. im very surprised that they managed to turn them there. its a very nasty junction.

is there any reason that they could not improve the junction and roads if needs be.

Absolutely no reason paulb, but the existing single track roads would immediately collapse under the weight and have to be completely replaced and at what cost ?. The whole construction side of this project can only lead to financial suicide....

[stilldellin]

Further snippet from Wikipedia re Scout Moor Wind Farm :-

 

 

The weather constrained the wind farm's construction for the teams from contractor McNicholas and German turbine supplier Nordex. During the final stages, the project manager for McNicholas was quoted as saying:

 

The weather has undoubtedly been the single biggest challenge we have faced up here. We have worked with wind speeds well in excess of 120mph and temperatures as low as minus 12 degrees Celsius, which is more like minus 25 with the wind-chill factor. I’ve worked on a lot of wind farm construction projects but the adverse conditions have made this one of the most difficult ... We have spent £30,000 on personal protective equipment for the workers. Keeping them warm, fed and moving in these conditions is a massive man management project, but we did it.[26]

 

Yep, I think the Shetland weather may throw a few challenges here too !

[Skunnered]

^^AT: When I read your response to Kavi Ugl above (which I will not reproduce here in the interest of austerity) several thoughts surged through my head:

Windmill foundations: So is the next generation to be left a concrete legacy like the one we were left after the war, or that ghost town camp that lay and rotted away at Toft? I thought these days there was always an obligation to restore the site to its original state, or better, at the end of a major project.

 

Interconnector capacity: If there is only a small amount of spare capacity on the interconnector, does this not seriously limit the potential for taking advantage of wave/tidal power generation in the future? I understood that this was one of VE's selling points, that once the interconnector was in place it would open the door for all kinds of other renewable energy schemes to connect to the main grid.

 

Lifestyle etc: My understanding is that at present the total oil-fund nest egg between the CT and the so-called "Reserve Fund" comes to more than £400 million. This is an enormous fund for a community of this size. If managed properly and invested wisely, in both local ventures and stock market etc., they should be able to get a consistent return of AT LEAST 8% per annum i.e. over £30 million per annum. Now I would have thought that (if properly managed!) that should be more than ample to provide all of the additional lifestyle services and facilities that Shetland could ever wish for. I really don't see why they need to generate another £20-£30 million a year, and quite honestly, do you really think that this council will perform any better given an additional £20-£30 million than they are doing with the funds available to them at the present time?

[ArabiaTerra]

^^AT: When I read your response to Kavi Ugl above (which I will not reproduce here in the interest of austerity) several thoughts surged through my head:

Windmill foundations: So is the next generation to be left a concrete legacy like the one we were left after the war, or that ghost town camp that lay and rotted away at Toft? I thought these days there was always an obligation to restore the site to its original state, or better, at the end of a major project.

The plan is to leave the foundations. The removal of the foundations would require breaking up huge pieces of reinforced concrete which would be a complete nightmare. I believe the plan is to cover them with topsoil and reseed. As I understand it there will be nothing visible left after the turbines are gone.

 

Interconnector capacity: If there is only a small amount of spare capacity on the interconnector, does this not seriously limit the potential for taking advantage of wave/tidal power generation in the future? I understood that this was one of VE's selling points, that once the interconnector was in place it would open the door for all kinds of other renewable energy schemes to connect to the main grid.

The interconnector will be 650MW capacity, the windfarm will generate around 475MW at full capacity, you do the math.

 

Lifestyle etc: My understanding is that at present the total oil-fund nest egg between the CT and the so-called "Reserve Fund" comes to more than £400 million. This is an enormous fund for a community of this size. If managed properly and invested wisely, in both local ventures and stock market etc., they should be able to get a consistent return of AT LEAST 8% per annum i.e. over £30 million per annum. Now I would have thought that (if properly managed!) that should be more than ample to provide all of the additional lifestyle services and facilities that Shetland could ever wish for. I really don't see why they need to generate another £20-£30 million a year, and quite honestly, do you really think that this council will perform any better given an additional £20-£30 million than they are doing with the funds available to them at the present time?

That's all very well if you consider the stock market as a safe place to keep the money. I don't.

 

With peak oil coming soon and climate change already beginning to bite around the world, I doubt that relying on the stock market to continue generating a return on the invested millions is a wise choice. Considering the current financial chaos caused by bankers playing with monopoly money, imagine how bad it will get when real, physical, goods such as food and fuel begin to be affected. Currently oil stands at $90/barrel and this years food harvest has been severely hammered by climate disruption. World food stocks are at their lowest for decades. I just don't think the world economy will stabilise for at least a couple of decades, if ever.

 

I think we're in for a rough future economically around the globe. Having a basic product like electricity to sell will make things a lot more secure.

[stilldellin]

Maybe we could use the concrete plinths for semaphore signalling steading once all the lights go out