Shetland windfarm - Viking Energy

[Twerto]

anyone know the height of the bressay mast?

[sheepshagger]

^ radio Shetland or the coastguard could answer that or an OS map.

[merkin]

^^^^^

 

Structure ht is a mere 70m..according to this

http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/bressay.php

[PressedCurdsOfMilk]

There is a good letter from Laurence Farmer in the paper today. He writes:

 

"Put simply, if our council gets this wrong the financial loss and environmental damage could be enormous and devastating to our future. Therefore we must insist on rigorous scrutiny."

 

I totally agree, Crofter. This whole project must be given "rigorous scrutiny".

 

Laurence also mentions that: "VE only appearing to have estimates of probably income (for us all or not?)."

 

At the moment am afraid this is all it can be, estimates. If we were signing up to long term deals with estimates then I would be extremely worried. However, that would not be the case for if this ever goes ahead it will be with concrete contracts, both on length of contract and fixed price of energy units.

 

But to challenge the project we must also make solid arguments. Dave's simulation is a classic example. Yes, fair play, he's done his bit, but it is quite clear that it is not even remotely accurate.

 

A lot of the stuff that's being bandied around detracts from the real issues and concerns. I too have concerns and I will not hesitate to ask questions when we receive further information.

 

 

I like what Dave Hammond is trying to do and the way he has chosen to do it. Yes, they are in the wrong place, yes the scale etc is probably inaccurate and yes they would look smaller if they were further away, but it demonstrates that they are very big and their impact, when in large numbers, will be a real issue and concern.

 

20 of these turbiness being place in a location that is right in your face is quite uncomfortable. Put 20 or 30 in a more isolated location and you might have a good sized relatively discrete windfarm (I am probably fantasising here). 160 in the central mainland and, benefits aside, the impact in all its forms will likely be profound (profound meaning beyond the obvious to unknown depths). These are very real issues and concerns.

 

Unless we have "rigorous scrutiny" (more than a glossy magazine and matchstick images) then the offering in this thread will be as solid as it gets and we should be very scared. The lack of real information and lack of engagement with the public is very disappointing.

[Caeser]

I notice David Thomson is now totally absent from the discussions on the windfarms / Viking energy.

 

Has he been gagged, has the 'Burradale boys' fancy financial footwork finally been found out, or is he just shy................................?

 

Maybe we have some better commentators on here who have actually come up with the answers or the truth, and no one actually wants to correct them when their cover has been blown.

 

Many pages ago we would have Mr Thomson come on and 'correct' the ill informed. Now we just have silence?

 

It smells a bit...Sorry!

[Caeser]

P.S

 

I read today that Weisdale is the preferred beach head for the cable.

 

Does anyone know what size the interconnector building is?

 

I heard it is massive, but I would prefer some accurate estimates.

 

I wonder how the planners will cope with it, when you struggle to get anything approved?

[Hardwadder]

Radio mast is 70m, bressa light tower is 19m

[petrocelli_]

I notice David Thomson is now totally absent from the discussions on the windfarms / Viking energy.

 

Has he been gagged, has the 'Burradale boys' fancy financial footwork finally been found out, or is he just shy................................?

 

Maybe we have some better commentators on here who have actually come up with the answers or the truth, and no one actually wants to correct them when their cover has been blown.

 

Many pages ago we would have Mr Thomson come on and 'correct' the ill informed. Now we just have silence?

 

It smells a bit...Sorry!

 

I read all David's stuff weeks ago and thought he maintained his dignity throughout. But I can see how he possibly got a bit disenchanted with the whole exercise.

 

Don't know if he still reads this but if I was VE I would publish all my material through recognised publications... Shetland Times, Shetland News or Radio Shetland in the future. There's simply no point putting anything on here as this is purely an anonymous forum.

 

Just had a thought on revealing my identity. I would be more than happy for "Peeriebryan" to investigate my username, or if any of the other moderators know me for that matter. My email says exactly who I am. Bryan would probably know who I am and I would be willing to discuss my situation with him by phone or email. He can then draw his own conclusions whether I am in with VE or Burradale and he could inform you accordingly.

[EM]

There's simply no point putting anything on here as this is purely an anonymous forum..

 

It is not purely anonymous , though decidedly mostly so. I personally don't quite get it with respect to the whole anonymous nature of most of the Shetlink posters. Indeed this aspect of Shetlink is regularly mentioned to me as something which many people dislike about the whole site. I don't use my full name as a user name because it is too long, but the initials and location make it quite clear.

 

 

Just had a thought on revealing my identity. ... He can then draw his own conclusions whether I am in with VE or Burradale and he could inform you accordingly.

 

Why be so convoluted?

[petrocelli_]

It is not purely anonymous , though decidedly mostly so. I personally don't quite get it with respect to the whole anonymous nature of most of the Shetlink posters. Indeed this aspect of Shetlink is regularly mentioned to me as something which many people dislike about the whole site. I don't use my full name as a user name because it is too long, but the initials and location make it quite clear.

 

You're right EM, I am aware of several folk on here who are obviously who they say they are.

 

Why be so convoluted?

 

As you're probably aware there have been several users implying that I am working for, involved with, or a mate of the Burradale group. With that in mind they taint everything I say as being direct spin from VE. As far as I'm concerned this is totally untrue!

 

There are reasons why I would not like to reveal my true identity at this moment in time but I wouldn't mind somebody backing me up!

[Ghostrider]

Just had a thought on revealing my identity. I would be more than happy for "Peeriebryan" to investigate my username, or if any of the other moderators know me for that matter. My email says exactly who I am. Bryan would probably know who I am and I would be willing to discuss my situation with him by phone or email. He can then draw his own conclusions whether I am in with VE or Burradale and he could inform you accordingly.

 

It doesn't matter one iota who you are or who's payroll keeps you in the manner you've become accustomed to, if you're not connected to VE you've clearly accepted and believe in the lion's share of the blurb and rhetoric put about by VE. That firmly plants you in the "pro" camp for the project, alongside those who are on the VE payroll, your name and whether you're paid to voice the opinions you do, or whether you hold them as a matter of personal choice is quite irrelevant. I very much doubt any one name/face is going to sway anyone to shift from one side of the debate to the other, this is far too big for that, it's the sum total of the "pro" vs. "anti" that people will make their minds up on, nothing else.

 

Personally speaking, I was a fence sitter with leanings towards the "pro" camp for a long time, as I'm sure you're already aware, seeing as you've perused this entire thread. However, the longer VE and their supporters have spoken and the more they said, the more I've become disillusioned and distrustful of the whole VE enterprise.

 

Bottom line for me right now, do I trust the Charitable Trust to handle an investment of this size, which includes a portion of funds that are mine, in a responsible and sensible manner? Like hell I do, (lets face it, as things stand, regardless of whether the investment is made under the banner of the Charitable Trust, the SDT or any other similar entity, it's the SIC that's behind it), the SIC have an extremely abysmal track record concerning investing in business for the "good of Shetland" which stretches back for more than 30 years to the days of the lamb plant at Reawick. The list is endless, SSG, floating dock, whatever shenanigans went on at the Greenhead a few years back, the Norrona.... It's one thing letting them invest a small percentage of the total fund in a number of projects, if a few go belly up, as quite a lot more than a few have, it's a lost million here, a few lost millions there, the fund is of a size that while it could do without such "leakages" it can survive and recover from them. VE is a one shot deal, boom or bust, if it fails as spectacularly as some other past "investments" have, it's wipe out, each and every one of us are up that infamous creek without so much as a pot to piss in. The SIC, in whatever guise it uses, cannot, IMHO, be trusted with an single investment of the magnitude of the one on the table.

 

As regards the input of the others involved in VE, firstly there's the minor share held by sundry Thomsons via Burradale. Do I trust their business skills and investment judgement? Well, we know very little about those, but from what little I do know, my answer is definitely, "nope".

 

Lastly, we have SSE, who I am very sure will not commit to anything which is not seen to going to be good, but only good for them, they owe us nothing, and they will only remain an integral part of VE as long as it's to their advantage. They will do us no favours, if anything they may well be one of the main obstacles that restricts the level of income from this that stays in Shetland, if it ever comes to pass and if it ever turns a profit.

[petrocelli_]

It doesn't matter one iota who you are or who's payroll keeps you in the manner you've become accustomed to, if you're not connected to VE you've clearly accepted and believe in the lion's share of the blurb and rhetoric put about by VE. That firmly plants you in the "pro" camp for the project, alongside those who are on the VE payroll, your name and whether you're paid to voice the opinions you do, or whether you hold them as a matter of personal choice is quite irrelevant. I very much doubt any one name/face is going to sway anyone to shift from one side of the debate to the other, this is far too big for that, it's the sum total of the "pro" vs. "anti" that people will make their minds up on, nothing else.

 

You're spot on, Ghostrider. This is not about individuals here. I was never suggesting for one minute that unveiling my identity was going to somehow make people sit up and listen, the exact opposite, am a nobody!

 

No, the fact that my opinions are a personal choice are very important to me, whether you choose to believe or respect that opinion is irrelevant!

 

I would be very worried if names or faces would sway anybody here, let the facts speak for themselves, then let people decide!

 

Indeed this aspect of Shetlink is regularly mentioned to me as something which many people dislike about the whole site.

 

That's exactly my feeling on this site EM. Don't think I'll be posting anything in the future (no crying now folks ) but thanks to everyone for sharing their thoughts on the windfarm in the time that I've been on here, cheers.

[crofter]

Well I for one am sorry to see you go, Petro.

 

ps you are Sandy Cluness and I claim my 5 pounds!

[Njugle]

IMDB.COM, about Petrocelli[/url]"]I think the best lessons "Petrocelli" teaches us are that 1) things aren't always as they seem, and 2) there's a good reason to presume a person innocent until proven guilty - because he just might be innocent, after all.

[Njugle]

Moderators log, supplemental:

 

The kind of anonymity Shetlink has adopted is in a community sense though. People, or most people, retain the same identity permanently. In stark contrast to the old "Have your say" forum website in which people changed their ID willy-nilly and defeated the point of any reasonable discussion.

 

There must be nearly as many people i know in real life, whose homelife i know nothing of, whose surnames escape me and whose beliefs i know little of, but i'm still prepared to discuss the world with and regard them as a friend*. (EM)

 

Erm. Windmills!

 

 

*or antagonist!