Shetland windfarm - Viking Energy

[PJ of Hildisvik]

@ stirrer, no, you can keep it in Lerwick, ironically who's being a nimby now ?

[daveh]

Why is it that the electricity from the turbines isn't to be used in Shetland first with any excess going down south? Shetlanders should surely see their power bills reduced by this project.

[paulb]

no stirrer they are happy with what goes on at sullom. i wonder how safe this new gas plant is. total seem to be taking there time to fix the leaking well. a bit diffrent from the gulf.

 

luckly if a turbine goes wrong not much happens.

[Stirrer]

Why is it that the electricity from the turbines isn't to be used in Shetland first with any excess going down south? Shetlanders should surely see their power bills reduced by this project.

 

Of course the turbines will supply the electricity needed in Shetland first, with the reminder being sent down the inter-connector cable to the mainland.

 

The power station is needed as backup in case something happens to the cable.

[stilldellin]

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.

 

The future of wind power...? Would make for a much smaller windfarm!

 

Good link tooney1, if the Japanese can pull that off and I have no doubt they will than Scotland will be able to produce a plentiful supply of their own power and negate the need for this utter madness.

[unlinkedstudent]

no stirrer they are happy with what goes on at sullom. i wonder how safe this new gas plant is. total seem to be taking there time to fix the leaking well. a bit diffrent from the gulf.

 

luckly if a turbine goes wrong not much happens.

 

It is so safe and reliable that the company are not coming with their begging bowl for us mere pleps to fund it.

 

When a turbine goes wrong, they have the habit of damaging those in the same cluster (Usually around five in number). When this happens, as did with the new one down in Rye, Sussex, they had to shut down the entire windfarm. Hardly much happening, eh, Paulb?

 

When faults occur, there is no back-up system in place - you are, quite simply, screwed.

[hjasga]

This is excellent news, in my view.

 

As much as we deride the weather, the British climate - and even more so in Shetland - is one of our greatest resources and we should have been properly harnessing its powers years ago. The economy could be much healthier if we'd invested in these technologies earlier, but better late than never.

 

Very encouraging as a young Shetlander, and I say that as somebody who has/had serious reservations about returning after university.

[hairyian]

no stirrer they are happy with what goes on at sullom. i wonder how safe this new gas plant is. total seem to be taking there time to fix the leaking well. a bit diffrent from the gulf.

 

luckly if a turbine goes wrong not much happens.

 

It is so safe and reliable that the company are not coming with their begging bowl for us mere pleps to fund it.

 

When a turbine goes wrong, they have the habit of damaging those in the same cluster (Usually around five in number). When this happens, as did with the new one down in Rye, Sussex, they had to shut down the entire windfarm. Hardly much happening, eh, Paulb?

 

When faults occur, there is no back-up system in place - you are, quite simply, screwed.

 

You are talking complete rubbish.

They are sited so that if one were to fall over it dos not fall on another.

The output of this wind farm at full throttle is many times the requirement of Shetland.

If no wind, Shetland could be fed back from the cable, using wind power from another area of Scotland.

No wind at all, well we will still have a smokey old power station to use.

[hjasga]

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.

 

The future of wind power...? Would make for a much smaller windfarm!

 

Good link tooney1, if the Japanese can pull that off and I have no doubt they will than Scotland will be able to produce a plentiful supply of their own power and negate the need for this utter madness.

 

I know it's not what you meant but "if the Japanese can do it" made me giggle. They're probably the most technologically accepting, and therefore advanced, country in the world. There are many, many things done there that we can only dream of at the moment.

 

EDIT: Actually misread entirely, ignore me.

[unlinkedstudent]

This is excellent news, in my view.

 

As much as we deride the weather, the British climate - and even more so in Shetland - is one of our greatest resources and we should have been properly harnessing its powers years ago. The economy could be much healthier if we'd invested in these technologies earlier, but better late than never.

 

Very encouraging as a young Shetlander, and I say that as somebody who has/had serious reservations about returning after university.

 

Then take heed from an old git like me (48 years young) who has seen and heard over a lifetime how safe nuclear is and how cheap it is, solving all of our power problems - it isn't and it hasn't.

 

Take note that this proposed windfarm has a life expectancy of 25 years.

 

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

 

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

 

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.

 

Would you go out and buy a car without seeing proven data? No, so why do so with the windfarm?

[hjasga]

This is excellent news, in my view.

 

As much as we deride the weather, the British climate - and even more so in Shetland - is one of our greatest resources and we should have been properly harnessing its powers years ago. The economy could be much healthier if we'd invested in these technologies earlier, but better late than never.

 

Very encouraging as a young Shetlander, and I say that as somebody who has/had serious reservations about returning after university.

 

Then take heed from an old git like me (48 years young) who has seen and heard over a lifetime how safe nuclear is and how cheap it is, solving all of our power problems - it isn't and it hasn't.

 

Take note that this proposed windfarm has a life expectancy of 25 years.

 

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

 

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

 

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.

 

Would you go out and buy a car without seeing proven data? No, so why do so with the windfarm?

 

I'm aware of all these points and still believe, on balance, it's a very positive step.

[unlinkedstudent]

Good grief, then I seriously hope you are not old enough to vote!

 

I cannot for the life of me understand why people so easily believe the rubbish put out by the SIC/Viking Energy, their figures simply do not add up. You never put all your eggs/lifesavings into one basket yet SIC seem intend on doing this.

 

Nobody has said how many jobs it will create in the long term - you'd be lucky if it was over 50.

 

Use local labour for the build - forget it, you can bet your bottom dollar that the contractors already have teams in place; indeed, I met one such worker down in Berwick in October 2010 and they were already talking about how they thought they would be coming up to install it.

[hjasga]

Good grief, then I seriously hope you are not old enough to vote!

 

How horribly arrogant.

[MuckleJoannie]

The Charitable Trust has still to agree to put money into the windfarm. Given that there will be a lot of new trustees after May it may be a while yet before it gives its agreement to go ahead.

[unlinkedstudent]

Good grief, then I seriously hope you are not old enough to vote!

 

How horribly arrogant.

 

I'm annoyed, I admit it. Horribly arrogant? Well, if I'm arrogant by using my brain cells then fine, I'm arrogant and proud of it.

 

Yes, I've just done an "AT" and displayed disdain at someone else's opinion. Yes, you have a right to your opinion. However, the fact remains that this was a totally undemocratic decision.

 

As another poster pointed out, we could be living in a communist state with no say - perish the thought that democracy was actually exercised and everyone in Shetland of and above voting age actually had the opportunity to have their say on this matter - perhaps then, depending on the outcome, I would feel differently but I don't.