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.
Decision on world’s biggest wind farm off Norfolk coast hit by coronavirus
A decision on whether to build the world’s biggest wind farm off the east Norfolk coast has been hit by coronavirus. Swedish energy firm Vattenfall wants to build a wind farm called Boreas 70km out to sea. It would come ashore at Happisburgh and has sparked opposition because a cable trench, 60km long would need to be dug across Norfolk from Happisburgh to Necton to connect it to the National Grid. At Necton new substations would be built, causing further . . . Complete story »
‘I would fight on’: Anger as council ends turbines legal battle
A council has ended its legal battle against plans to build two controversial wind turbines near the north Norfolk coast. The proposals for the turbines between Sheringham and Holt were given the go-ahead last month by the Planning Inspectorate after years of battles between developers, residents and North Norfolk District Council (NNDC), which tried to have them stopped. But the council said it would no longer continue its legal battle against the plans, which will see a 66m turbine built . . . Complete story »
Keltbray demolishes huge wind turbine with explosives
Keltbray has demolished a giant wind turbine at Hunterston in Ayrshire. Along with Controlled Demolition Inc (CDI), the firm blew up the 177m turbine in a controlled explosion (see 1.05 in video). The turbine had been used as a rest site for offshore wind farms before being decommissioned. While one turbine was dismantled by crane in 2018, client SSE Renewables said there was no safe method of using a crane for the second turbine. The National Offshore Wind Turbine Test . . . Complete story »
Energy bill hikes to pay for £69m Scots wind farm compensation
Households are facing a huge hike in their energy bills after a record surge in subsidy payments to switch off Scottish wind farm turbines partly caused by them producing too much power, an analysis has found. In the two months of this year, £69 million was paid out in constraint payments, according to research by the Renewable Energy Foundation which described it as an “extreme spike”. This is four times greater than the previous most expensive January-February period on record, . . . Complete story »
Controversial plans for giant wind farm in the Rhinns of Kells in New Galloway scrapped
Controversial plans to build a giant wind farm in the Rhinns of Kells have been scrapped. Torrs Hill Wind Farm Ltd had lodged an outline bid for 12 turbines below the scenic mountain range. But this week parent company Fred Olsen Ltd opted to pull the plug on the project. The company said a “complex” wind resource meant the project was not feasible. Thomas Jebsen, FOL lead for the development, said: “Local opinion was taken into account in the latest . . . Complete story »
Towering turbines to be placed near Denbigh ‘add insult to injury’, says AM
An assembly member says plans to raise wind turbines in an area of outstanding natural beauty by a further 70 feet “add insult to injury”. The developer of the controversial wind farm site, at Pant y Maen, Nantglyn, on land adjacent to Llyn Bran, Bylchau, Denbigh, wants to increase the height of its turbines via a planning amendment. The application would affect the development of seven turbines planned for Pant Y Maen Wind Turbines Ltd, based in Oxfordshire. It would . . . Complete story »
Massive offshore wind farms with turbines the size of the Eiffel Tower planned off Cornwall
A major £150 million project to install floating offshire windfarms off the coast of Cornwall could become a reality within the next five years. Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has been leading on the plans for floating offshore wind turbines to be installed off the Cornish coast and another plan off the Welsh coast. There are plans to have some floating offshore turbines plugged into the Wave Hub off Hayle and power up to 23,000 homes. . . . Complete story »
North-east residents rally together as plans are submitted for two wind turbines
North-east residents have rallied together to ensure their voices are heard over a contentious planning application for two wind turbines in their community. Dozens of people from St Fergus gathered at a public meeting yesterday to discuss the planning application that has been submitted to Aberdeenshire Council for two 390-ft wind turbines which would sit on land next to the St Fergus gas terminal. The meeting allowed residents to voice their concerns about the turbines with worries ranging from the . . . Complete story »
Problems from both rain and wind
Two letters in the Western Mail on March 6 caught my eye. Firstly, the excellent missive from Dave Haskell regarding the removal of trees in upland areas of Wales contributing to flash-flooding downstream (“Foolish remarks on the cause of flooding”). If anything, he has understated the problem with “thousands and thousands of trees”. Freedom of Information data obtained by Mr Ioan Richard of Swansea, from Natural Resources Wales, has discovered that to make room for the concrete and road network . . . Complete story »
Fury at plans to build wind turbines on graves of British First World War heroes
Plans to build a wind turbine farm on a famous First World War battlefield in northern France have been described as “revolting”. Tens of thousands of British soldiers were killed during the historic Battle of Cambrai and many of their bodies were never recovered. Cambrai became famous as the first battle in the Great War to feature a major tank offensive. Now businesses are trying to exploit the land to make money from a giant wind farm – with early . . . Complete story »
