February 1, 2013
Scotland

Plan for substation meets stern resistance

Blackdog residents have expressed serious concerns about the offshore wind development planned for Aberdeen Bay.

More than 20 people turned up at a public consultation last night to view plans for a small electricity substation to serve the £230million project.

A planning application has been submitted to Aberdeenshire Council for a cable route and substation compound to the south-east of Blackdog.

The substation would form part of the onshore connection between the proposed European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) and the National Electricity Transmission System.

Local residents, who met at Balmedie, said their lives would be greatly affected if the Aberdeen Offshore Windfarm and the sub- station were given the go-ahead. One resident, Nicola Brown, said she felt as if Blackdog was being used as a dumping ground for all the developments no one else wanted.

“We feel as if people think it’s OK to just dump things on us, but it’s not.

“We have grave concerns about where the cables would go, the fact that our roads would need to be dug up, the construction work and all the heavy goods vehicles which would need to go up and down our small road.

“Then there is the noise and the health issues related to the windfarm and the substation, and that is not taking into account how it would affect our views. None of us want it here at all.”

Another resident at the meeting was 79-year-old Edna Booth, who has lived in the area for 28 years.

She said most people from the 85 homes in the area would be prepared to fight the application.

The Aberdeen Offshore Windfarm (AOWF) is a joint venture by energy company Vattenfall, private-public partnership Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group and Technip Offshore Wind Ltd.

The 11-turbine European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre is being looked at by Marine Scotland.

Last night, EOWDC spokesman Iain Todd said all national guidelines had been followed and residents had been consulted extensively by representatives who had visited their homes.

URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/02/01/plan-for-substation-meets-stern-resistance/

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