April 8, 2011
Scotland

Windfarm interfering with radar

by Jackie Grant, Dumfries Standard Friday, www.dgstandard.co.uk 8 April 2011by Jackie Grant, Dumfries Standard Friday, www.dgstandard.co.uk 8 April 2011

A new aircraft-tracking radar system will have to be constructed near a £500 million windfarm.

The Clyde windfarm development at Dalveen will interfere with the current radar system and developer Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) is currently trying to reach a temporary solution to the problem with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the National Air Traffic Services (NATS).

Scottish and Southern Energy, the firm behind the 350MW wind farm development, said consent has been secured from North Lanarkshire Council for the development of a permanent new primary radar facility to provide the necessary level of coverage for the site and construction work on the new facility has begun.

The spokesman added: “It should become operational in early 2012. The CAA has concluded that a temporary Transponder Mandatory Zone over the wind farm is not a proportionate way of ensuring aviation safety in advance of that, but constructive discussions are continuing with NATS and an alternative temporary solution is now being taken forward with the support of NATS and the CAA, with implementation planned for the next few weeks.”

Richard Taylor of the CAA said discussions are still ongoing to reach a permanent solution to the problem.

“There might well be a solution within the next few weeks,” he said.

“The windfarm interferes with radar so another radar system will be constructed in the vicinity. However, it would take a couple of years to get it up and running so we need to find a temporary solution”

Closeburn man Mike Steele, who has claimed in the past that residents in the small community are having to live with turbines blighting the landscape, said there are already around 30 towers up at Dalveen with another 120 still to go.

“The towers are up but there’s no blades on them yet”, he said.

“It’s going to be a huge windfarm and the top of the Dalveen has changed dramatically already.”

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/04/08/windfarm-interfering-with-radar/