Wind Power News: U.K.
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Criminal investigation launched into north-west landslide
A criminal investigation has been launched into a devastating landslide which transformed a natural beauty spot in the north-west into a murky “black porridge”. Shocking footage of the incident in Mid-November was viewed by thousands online as it showed thousands of tonnes of peat slipping downstream from the top end of the Mourne Beg River in Donegal. John McCartney, director of conservation and protection at the Loughs Agency, told the Stormont Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee on Thursday (January . . . Complete story »
Wind farm engineers to drill below cliffs and rivers
Energy giant Vattenfall will use a remote controlled drill that will snake its way underground below the fields and cliffs at Happisburgh for one kilometre to a position off the Norfolk shore. The piece of kit known as a Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) rig is a key part of the Swedish firm’s plans to link up to 360 turbines in North Sea wind farms called Vanguard and Boreas to onshore cabling, running to a substation at Necton, near Swaffham. But . . . Complete story »
Melvich community councillors ‘fully supportive’ of Ackron Wind Farm
Campaigner Brenda Herrick, of Caithness Windfarm Information Forum, rejected Statkraft's statement about meeting the electricity demand of 45,800 homes as "meaningless", saying: "Where are these homes? Not local, and we know because of the increasing constraints payments that the transmission to where the electricity is needed is not in place. "I would love to know how many 'homes powered' have been promised by developers over the years." Complete story »
Deadline extended for comments on Hoy wind farm project
The deadline date for submission of comments to the Scottish Government on proposed plans for a six-turbine, council-owned wind farm at Wee Fea in Lyness, has been extended until March. The move is due to COVID-19 related delays in a site visit, and a request received by the Scottish Government from a consultee for an extension. Members of the public wishing to support, or object to the proposals therefore now have until Tuesday, March 9, to do so. The Scottish . . . Complete story »
Lack of ‘transparency’ fears over SNP bailing out BiFab
A Holyrood committee has raised fears at a “lack of transparency” over public funding ploughed into struggling BiFab years before the company collapsed. BiFab, which as years in Burntisland and Methill and another on the Isle of Lewis entered administration in December, two years after a deal in which Canadian firm DF Barnes acquired the business for just £4. The Scottish Government invested £37 million into the company and became a minority shareholder. Bosses at DF Barnes have told MSPs . . . Complete story »
Peebles: Wind farms ‘would trigger community benefit funds’
Peebles could benefit from a £500,000 community benefit package if two controversial wind farms are given the go-ahead, according to a community council member. Malcolm Bruce entered into talks with development managers regarding the community funding that will be generated from the proposed wind power sites at Scawd Law near Walkerburn and Cloich Forest near Eddleston. In a bid to make sure all communities can benefit from any potential financial windfall, Mr Bruce reached out to six community councils in . . . Complete story »
Fears ‘wildcat wonderland’ would be doomed under plans to expand wind farm near Huntly
Nature enthusiasts fear that a “wildcat wonderland” will be lost forever if plans to almost double the size of a wind farm near Huntly are given the go-ahead. Wildcat Haven campaigners appealed for Aberdeenshire Council to oppose plans for a 14-turbine extension to the existing 18-turbine Clashindarroch wind farm as elected members considered plans by Swedish energy firm Vatterfall Wind Power yesterday. Addressing the infrastructure services committee online, campaigner and founder of Living Law, Susan Shaw, said the area was . . . Complete story »
Stormont committee told river peat slide was ‘catastrophic’
A huge landslide into rivers in Donegal and Tyrone which started on the site of a new windfarm has been described as “catastrophic” by the Loughs’ Agency. Thousands of tonnes of peat bog, trees and vegetation were swept into the Mourne Beg and Derg Rivers during the peat slide on November 13 last year. Damage was also caused to the Corgary trout farm. It subsequently emerged that the peat slide originated on land which is being developed as a wind . . . Complete story »
Dounreay offshore wind turbines would ‘dwarf’ those in Beatrice project, says Caithness councillor
A Caithness councillor is seeking more details about a proposed wind farm off the north coast which he says would “dwarf” the Beatrice project in terms of turbine height. A planning application has been lodged with Highland Council for a development consisting of between six and 10 floating turbines around six kilometres north-west of Dounreay. It would be called the Pentland Floating Offshore Wind Farm and the maximum blade-tip height would be 270m. Councillor Matthew Reiss, who represents Thurso and . . . Complete story »
Energy firm considering next steps after Camster II Wind Farm planning refusal
A renewable energy firm says it is taking time to consider its next steps after being refused planning permission for a new wind farm at Camster. RWE Renewables wanted to install 11 turbines in its proposed Camster II Wind Farm development on land some 2000 metres north-west of Tannach Hill. Its application was turned down by Highland Council, which ruled that the wind farm “would have a significantly detrimental visual impact”. RWE now has three months to appeal to the . . . Complete story »
