Airport owner sides with Trump on turbines  

Credit:  BY RYAN CRIGHTON, The Press and Journal, 11 February 2012 ~~

Airport chiefs have raised concerns about controversial plans to build a windfarm off the northeast coast, newpapers have revealed.

Documents released under freedom of information laws show that Aberdeen Airport owner BAA is worried about plans to build 11 turbines in Aberdeen Bay.

The European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) is a £150million joint venture by utility company Vattenfall, engineering firm Technip and Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group.

But Donald Trump has called for the windfarm to be moved away from his Aberdeenshire estate, where he has just completed “the greatest golf course in the world”.

The billionaire’s legal team has now obtained documents from Marine Scotland – the government body considering the plans – which reveal some high-profile objectors.

Baasaid it was objecting to the proposal because of the impact it may have on Aberdeen Airport, although bosses say they will reconsider once a specialist study comes back.

National Air Traffic Services is also objecting, because of fears about radar interference, as is the Ministry of Defence.

The EOWDCplan has attracted nearly 400 letters of support.

The papers also reveal that a campaign group which was opposed to the golf resort has written “many” of the letters sent to Marine Scotland backing the windfarm.

Mr Trump’s development director, George Sorial, said: “We intend to make these facts known in a formal submission to both the Scottish Government and the EU.”

The papers have emerged just 24 hours after Mr Trump launched an astonishing attack on First Minister Alex Salmond – accusing him of being “hell bent” on destroying Scotland.

Representativesfromthe Trump Organisation and Vattenfall held talks yesterday over the continuing row.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Sorial said:“we had a productive conversation for more than an hour.

“We did not arrive at a resolution but we agreed to another face-to-face meeting.”

David Rodger, project spokesman for EOWDC, said: “No conclusions were reached but we trust there will be further dialogue.”