7 April 05

Greenpeace objects to plans for 234-turbine wind farm

JAMES REYNOLDS
ENVIRONMENT CORRESPONDENT

GREENPEACE has made its first ever objection to an onshore wind farm in the UK - the massive 234 turbine development around Stornoway on Lewis - spelling a major setback for the renewables industry in Scotland.

Although it is a staunch advocate of renewable forms of power generation, including wind, the environmental organisation believes that the proposal to build the world’s biggest wind farm on the island, producing 700 megawatts of electricity, will have a negative impact on populations of rare and protected birds, including golden eagles.

Instead, it is calling for a phased introduction of the turbines in areas where they will cause least impact to bird life, followed by a period of close monitoring.

If the huge turbines are seen to have no negative effect on the birds, the group would then approve of more turbines being added. This, it says, would give the wildlife the chance to get used to the turbines and adapt their behaviour and habits.

Such a strategy is likely to be rejected by the developer, AMEC, which needs to ensure that the wind farm is big enough to produce enough energy and money to fund an expensive interconnecter that will take the electricity to the mainland and on to the national grid. It is widely believed that only on such a massive scale is the project able to remain economically viable.