May 28, 2011
Scotland

Proposed turbine could pose problems for North-east airspace

By Dionne Abolghassem, local.stv.tv 27 May 2011

A single turbine proposed for Longhaven, near Peterhead, could get the go ahead despite it posing potential risks for North-east airspace.

Situated on the North-east flight path, proposals to build a 29.5 metre wind turbine at Whiteshin, Longhaven could pose a potential threat to the safety of the airpace if the plan is given the go ahead.

This comes after National Air Traffic Service (NATS) confirmed recently that the increasing number of wind turbine applications and the development of windfarms in Buchan could compromise aviation safety for civil and offshore aircraft.

NATS said that windfarms can appear as “clutter” on air traffic radar displays – giving the false impression that an unknown aircraft is flying in the vicinity of the turbines.

Commenting on the recent proposal in a letter to the local authority, spokesman for Aberdeen Airport, Simon Vince, said “further investigations” were required in order to determine whether the wind turbine would affect flights travelling in and out of the airport.

He said: “Initial examination reveals that this proposal requires fuller investigation regarding the potential impact on radars associated with Aberdeen Airport.”

A spokeswoman for NATS previously said that there was a “cumulative effect” with regards to the increasing number of wind turbines being developed in Aberdeenshire.

She said: “There is a cumulative effect with regards to wind turbines – the more wind farms there are in an area, the more likely there is to be a problem.

“In Aberdeenshire we have seen a rapid rise in the number of wind farm applications.”

In Aberdeenshire alone there were more that 200 wind turbine applications put forward in 2010 – with that number expected to increase this year.

Peterhead Port Authority recently tabled plans to erect two 330ft turbines on industrial land at Keith Inch and Green Hill in the town.

But environmental chiefs had warned that this could “impinge upon the historic core” of the Blue Toon, and that the proposals were “inappropriate and unacceptable.”

Local authority officials will make a decision on whether or not to give the go ahead for the project later in the year.

Plans were also recently revealed to install 12 wind turbines on Mormond Hill, in Strichen, near Fraserburgh – with an application for planning consent due to be put forward later this year.