October 25, 2006
U.K.
U.K.
Parts of a steel tower for a wind farm in the Western Isles have been lost overboard from a ship in the North Sea.
They were being transported from Denmark on the German-registered Lass Moon to Lewis.
The towers should have been built on the island but the contract was taken away after the yard near Stornoway got into financial difficulties.
Forest Investment Management (FIM), which owns the Arnish Moor site, said the loss is likely to delay its plans.
The original owners of the site – Farm Energy Ltd – got planning permission to build three wind turbines with a total output of 3.9 megawatts three years ago.
It is now owned by FIM and was scheduled to be the first wind farm in Lewis to become operational.
Rough weather
A spokesman for the company confirmed the loss of the parts and said it would have an impact on the turbine erection phase.
It had been hoped to have the site ready by 28 November. The spokesman said: “Clearly we are short of one turbine.”
Arnish-based company Camcal had started making the towers but the contract was removed when it was hit by financial problems.
The ship is expected to dock in the Arnish yard to offload the remaining tower parts.
The access roads and tower bases have been completed but the loss of the tower parts could delay the commissioning of the wind farm, expected in November, until next year.
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2006/10/25/wind-turbine-tower-lost-overboard/