Wild Land News no 57, Spring 2003

Renewable Energy Schemes in Scotland Article

There are alternatives to hilltop windfarms. Fiona Anderson looks at the options currently available.

The good news is not only that other RE technologies are coming along steadily to reduce the emphasis on onshore wind in future, but also that Scottish wind farms are coming downhill. The Renewables Obligation prior to Scottish devolution had high price requirements for electricity, which required the windiest sites on top of the highest, remotest hills. Now the criteria are more flexible, with a responsible company like Scottish Power looking for sites like medium-altitude moorland, upland afforested areas, coastal locations and well exposed industrialised ground, if they can be as efficient as hilltops. Moreover, wind turbines are getting larger so fewer are required for the same output. The average height is 30-70 metres and the maximum is now 110-150m.

The type of potential impact that can be caused to wild land when sites are not brought "downhill" is shown by the application made in September by National Wind Power, at Farr in the Monadhliath hills, south west of Inverness. 45 turbines are proposed with a height of 102m to blade tips and capacity of 112.5 MW, more than double the normal size of output per turbine (1MW), and 18 kms of new access tracks are to be bulldozed in blanket peat. 7.5 kms of new track through a forest will be required and 8kms of existing tracks widened to 6 metres.

Environmental Impact Assessment is highly likely to be required even if no designated sites are involved. But the UK Energy Minister has complained recently that 2/3 of projects don't actually happen, owing to planning objections. The case has just completed the objection period before determination by the Scottish Executive (mandatory over 50 MW capacity.) Highland Council is a consultee. An application has also been made for another windfarm 10 kms away.

Another cumulative impact situation occurred in 2001 affecting a large section of the Lammermuirs south of Edinburgh, which has been claimed to be one of the last wild places in southern Scotland. In addition to the Dun Law project, (21 turbines generating electricity either side of the A68 trunk road on Soutra), a proposal at Crystal Rig in the Longformacus area involved 28 turbines capable of generating 49 MW, sufficient to power more than 60% of households in the Borders. This scheme was only 8 miles from a third proposal at Black Hill. All three would be seen from many parts of the Southern Upland Way.

Only 15 months later in November last a 24-turbine farm was opened at Bowbeat Hill near Peebles by the Energy Minister, capable of generating electricity for half the homes in the Borders.

Less sensitive locations

By contrast, Scottish Power has applied for two windfarms in the Central Belt at Black Law, 67 turbines on an abandoned opencast mine, grazed farmland and commercial forestry and at Whitelee, 140 turbines (240 MW) on Eaglesham Moor on water board and Forest Enterprise land south of Glasgow, which would make it the UK's largest onshore windfarm. At both sites the company is working with landowners, on a Habitat Management Plan at Blacklaw which will restore broadleaved woodland and wetlands etc, while at Whitelee the forest is being restructured to provide more wildlife habitats and open up a network of footpaths, cycleways and bridleways. A visitor centre is proposed at each site.

Examples of windfarm applications on vacant urban land (brownfield sites) include Clydeport and Scottish Power's 30-turbine 30-50 MW proposal at Hunterston next to the coal terminal; a scheme by Castlemilk Economic Development Agency for 9 turbines on land owned by Glasgow City Council; and a 50-turbine proposal near Bettyhill, Sutherland using an old municipal landfill dump and a redundant national grid link. The proceeds from the latter would be shared etween 66 crofters, although it is likely to be rejected as out of scale. The small Castlemilk scheme also would connect into the National Grid and is more likely to find favour as it will provide a £750,000 a year dividend to Castlemilk housing estate to support community projects and provide cheap electricity.

Problems with National Grid capacity have been threatening to stop further windfarm projects beyond those already constructed in North West Scotland, the Northern and Western Isles. This is despite up to 7 projects on Orkney justifying a new sub-sea power cable. (Four of these would be about the same size as the proposal at Hunterston). Parliamentary questions have also been tabled on providing a link with Shetland. The existing infrastructure network, designed for a small rural population, is limiting achievement of the Renewables Obligation. Now the main power line from Beauly to Denny at least is to be upgraded from 32,000 volts (a capacity of 500 MW) to 275,000 volts on new pylons. There were around 60 planning applications for windfarms in the Highlands in September 2002 which would generate 1400MW of power.

Offshore and tidal schemes

Offshore windfarms have important potential because the wind resource is stronger and steadier in winter, and the noise problem is less, but they are more expensive to build and they require relatively shallow water. Consequently estuaries are favoured. It was estimated in November that offshore wind developments will be the largest RE sector in future, with the UK expected to install 21% of global capacity by 2007. 96 projects were under consideration in 2002. MOD objected to 5 out of 18 applications up to March last year, on grounds of interfering with radar and military low-flying.

Scotland's first offshore wind application was lodged in April 2002 for 60 turbines at Robin Rigg in the Solway Firth. Six months later Dumfries & Galloway Council, Dalbeattie Community Council and SNH decided to oppose it in view of the landscape and visual impacts on two NSAs and the Solway Coast Regional Scenic Area. A public inquiry is likely even without any objections from the English side.

Offshore developments are not subject to normal planning controls, but require at least 4 different applications to Crown Estates, DAFS, SEA etc. Britain's first offshore consent off the Northumberland coast at Blyth required 9, including a planning application for an electricity substation on land. A feasibility study was under way last summer for one of the largest offshore wind installations in the world - 120 turbines generating 500 MW on towers 400 ft above the sea at the 3 oil platforms of Beatrice oilfield in the inner Moray Firth. It is claimed they would barely be visible from the shore.

The world's first tidal energy device, the Stingray machine, is to be positioned on the seabed in the Sound of Yell, Shetland, this summer as a test unit. A commercial energy farm is intended to follow, possibly off the east coast, with many more operational by 2010.A wave energy test centre is also proposed near Stromness. A prototype wave power device, Wavegen's Shoreline Limpet, which has been feeding up to 500 kw per hour to the National Grid.from Portnahaven on Islay is now replicated by 3 machines in shallow waters off the west coast of Lewis. There are plans to install it elsewhere, including in breakwaters.

Hydro power

Finally, hydro power is the most tried and tested technology of all and the cheapest, producing 15% of the world's electricity, but mostly dating from the 1950s and 60s. It is a flexible source, not in location, but to supplement urban power generation at certain times. However large-scale hydro schemes are damaging environmentally. One of the most controversial small-scale schemes in recent years involves four lochs in the Shieldaig area of Wester Ross. As readers of WLN know, Highland Light & Power withdrew their proposal for a previous scheme in the same area before the result of a Public Inquiry in 1997. The scheme they now propose would generate only 3.55MW.

Scottish and Southern Energy have been re-examining a number of schemes explored but not developed in the 1950s and 60s under the stimulus of the ROS and the Executive's enthusiasm for "green" energy. They are now proposing a scheme for Glendoe in the Monadhliaths which would flood upper Glen Tarff and the A'Chraidhleag wilderness. Small scale "run-of-the-river" schemes for local communities are more likely to succeed, such as the 3MW Cuileig power station near Ullapool, which diverts water from the river into turbines via an underground pipe, and then feeds it back inconspicuously. The power station itself is also buried.

These are the RE technologies which are most likely to affect the environment and wild land. Energy from biomass wastes, energy crops and forestry residues is debatably RE in that they are grown rather than harvested and the development involved is normal built development. Solar generation of electricity (photvoltaics) and heating of water and buildings are likely to grow significantly in future.