August 29, 2011
Scotland

Wind speed masts for Amec’s turbines

Hebrides News, www.hebrides-news.com 29 August 2011

Developers proposing a giant wind farm on the outskirts of Stornoway have received planning permission to erect wind speed monitoring masts at three different approaches to the scheme.

This week Western Isles Council will ratify limiting the consent to six years and require each structure displays a red aviation warning light.

To protect golden eagles and other important wild bird species, bird deflectors will be attached to the guy ropes at the mast sites by Bennadrove, Achmore and near the Creed Park.

Objectors said the masts would be an eyesore on the landscape and affect migrating birds and tourism.

Lewis Wind Power, a joint venture between AMEC and Frech-owned EDF Energy, will use the data from the masts to assess the profitability of the 42 turbines it plans to construct on moorland outside Stornoway.

Planning permission for the actual turbines is expected to be decided next year.

The community has an option to buy up to eight turbines at an estimated cost of £30 million.

The proposal for the 151 MW scheme has angered crofters after it emerged the community-owned Stornoway Trust signed over a deal committing common grazings to the huge development for decades.

Many feel the Trust should have progressed its own wholly operated small scale wind scheme to reinvest all the profits locally.

The Trust claims it would have been too complex to undertake but ironically Point and Sandwick Power are building the UK’s largest community wind scheme in the same location.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/08/29/wind-speed-masts-for-amecs-turbines/