Wind Power News: Scotland
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Wind farm project loses appeal for second time
A wind farm project in southern Scotland has been rejected at appeal for the second time. The scheme at Garcrogo Hill and Barmark Hill, near Corsock in Dumfries and Galloway, would have involved the construction of seven turbines. A previous bid for nine turbines was refused at appeal in August 2022. A Scottish government reporter has ruled that revised proposals by Energiekontor UK should not go ahead either. ‘Range of benefits’ The company argued that the scheme could deliver a . . . Complete story »
Scots scientist charged over ‘enormous’ £7m wind farm fraud scheme
A Scots scientist has been accused of scamming wind farm investors out of £7.4million. Dr Paul Dougan, a former renewable energy firm boss and Oxford graduate, has been accused of using investors’ cash to buy up a string of properties across Scotland and the UK in an “enormous” case brought by prosecutors in Northern Ireland. The 54-year-old, from Glasgow, faces a catalogue of offences alongside an ex business partner. He is accused of a total of 24 charges, including acquiring . . . Complete story »
EDF wind farm to pay £5.5 million to vulnerable customers after overcharging grid
Energy company EDF will pay £5.5 million into a fund designed to help vulnerable customers after regulator Ofgem found that it had overcharged the grid. Ofgem said that EDF’s Dorenell Windfarm Limited (DWL) charged “excessive prices” when it was asked to reduce its output. “Ofgem considers that DWL charged excessive prices to reduce output where this was required to keep the system balanced, and the breach pushed up costs for consumers,” Ofgem said in a statement on Monday. The regulator . . . Complete story »
Armadale Wind Farm turbines would have ‘startling’ effect on landscape, planning officers says as councillors are advised to object to the development
North councillors are being advised to object to a planning application to build a wind farm which it is feared would “overwhelm” the north Sutherland village of Armadale. Brookfield Renewables is seeking permission to build a nine-turbine wind farm on an area of hill land and common grazings overlooking the village. Members of the North Planning applications Committee will consider the application at their meeting in Inverness next Tuesday, March 5. The final decision will be taken by Scottish Ministers . . . Complete story »
Lethen windpower plan near Grantown is rejected by Ministers
A controversial plan for 17 wind turbies near Lochindorb some 10km north-west of Grantown has been refused by Scottish Ministers. The Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit announced the refusal last night. Scotland Against Spin reported: “The Scottish Ministers acknowledge that there are environmental effects from the proposed development resulting in significant visual and landscape impacts as well as impacts on some SLQs (Special landscape qualities) of the (Cairngorms National) Park and on the special qualities of the SLA (Special landscape . . . Complete story »
Grantown wind farm planners ‘Gambled and lost’ say campaigners
Anti–wind farm campaigners are celebrating last night’s announcement that a plan for a 17-turbine wind farm on a historic beauty spot north of Grantown has been rejected. As the Strathy announced earlier, the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit have refused the controversial application lodged by Fred.Olsen Renewables to develop an area near Lochindorb on the Dava Moor. This afternoon Graham Lang of Scotland Against Spin celebrated: “This is an excellent result.” He told the Strathy: “Although the council did lodge . . . Complete story »
World’s first floating wind farm Hywind Scotland faces shutdown for ‘heavy maintenance’
Norwegian energy giant Equinor will temporarily remove all five floating wind turbines from the pioneering Hywind Scotland array later this year after discovering a need for “heavy maintenance” on the Siemens Gamesa machines deployed there, Recharge has learned. The 6MW turbines will be towed back to Wergeland on the west coast of Norway as part of a maintenance programme that is likely to take around four months and will disrupt power output from the project operating 24km off Peterhead since . . . Complete story »
Wind farm legal action launched over wildcat fears
Plans for a new wind farm in Aberdeenshire are set to be challenged in court following concerns over the protection of wildcats. Swedish energy giant Vattenfall received the go-ahead to build a second site at Clashindarroch last year. However, conservation group Wildcat Haven believes it could endanger the local wildcat population. It has now pursued a judicial review over the approval granted by Scottish ministers. Vattenfall’s 14-turbine Clashindarroch II wind farm was approved by Scottish ministers in June last year. . . . Complete story »
Scottish wildcats: Aberdeen wind farm decision goes to judicial review
A decision by Scottish Ministers to grant planning permission for a wind farm on the habitat of an endangered species is to be challenged in a judicial review. Wildcat Haven has raised almost £250,000 through donations in four years, which is how it is funding the legal fight. Its petition to save the Clashindarroch Forest in Aberdeenshire for wildcats has racked up over one million signatures. An application for a wind farm on the site was made by Swedish company . . . Complete story »
Safety fears after two Scots wind turbines broke apart during Storm Gerrit
An energy firm is being asked to investigate the safety of all its wind turbines after two broke apart during a storm. The Sunday Mail told last week how one in Ayrshire spun out of control during Storm Gerrit, causing the 34-metre blades to fly through the air. But around the same time, a turbine in Fife, also owned by Surrey-based Constantine Wind Energy, was destroyed in bad weather. Colin Morrison, from Crail, who spotted the debris on farmland close . . . Complete story »