Your correspondent Jeremy Clulow (Journal, April 25) talks about the three 250ft-high wind turbines at Blaen Bowi in Newcastle Emlyn. They do indeed have an installed capacity of 1.3MW each, totalling 3.9MW.
However, I am a little bemused by his figure for their stated output.
He says they generate 35 per cent of their installed capacity. Yet, on many an occasion when I have driven past, one, or more, of those turbines has been totally motionless.
How do they produce 35 per cent? The nearby wind farm at Blaenwaun, Whitland, only managed 19 per cent over the space of a year, two years ago, according to OFGEM statistics.
It is at very similar altitude and location to Blaen Bowi.
Furthermore, I recently drove past Blaen Bowi when the weather was very still and misty.
Smoke was rising vertically, high into the sky, from a nearby chimney. Yet when I drove past the wind turbines , a mile along the road, the turbine located 120 metres from the road was turning very fast.
I was so astounded that I got out of the car. There was not a breeze.
It was obvious that the turbine was being motored by the fossil fuels of the National Grid, not wind.
Do people realise that a computer button can be pressed in Germany to spin wind turbines in the UK? That is real spin.
German electricity giants, RWE and EoN own dozens of nuclear and coal-fired power stations throughout the world, as well as thousands of wind turbines.
EoN owns Powergen, which then puts a further spin on things by only having wind turbines in their UK television adverts.
Finally, what exactly was the huge container-sized generator doing next to the Blaen Bowi road-side turbine for months not so long ago?
These questions need answering. The professed output of Blaen Bowi wind farm is not logical. The official DTI wind turbine output average for the whole UK, including a far windier Scotland, is only 24 per cent of installed capacity.
So where does 35 per cent come from? Is it a mere coincidence that there is currently an application for three extra turbines on the site at the county planning stage?
L J Jenkins
Clyn-yr-ynys
Gwbert
2 May 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/05/02/in-a-spin-over-output-claims/