Machrihanish Offshore Windfarm

[In the know]

As someone who works in the wind turbine industry and lives in kintyre I am totally against the sighting of these wind turbines. This has to be the closest to the mainland of any offshore wind farm in the UK. There is also no guarantees that Skykon Campbeltown will get the contract to build these towers. So the argument of this development being a major boost to jobs or that it will even keep Skykon Campbeltown open is flawed . I really hope that this doesn’t go ahead and wish all involved in the campaign good luck .

[jowett63]

Sad to hear Bill thinks there is apathy in Campbeltown to this development, but if there is then I think it only because folk do not yet realise the colossal scale and proximity of this development - which the diagrams Ship posted show. The communities of West Kintyre are in no doubt as to the devastation to their way of life this gigantic windfarm will have and it is why 150+ of them crammed into a public meeting in Machrihanish earlier this week and bar one dissenting voice they were united in opposition. They were wholly in favour of proportionate and sensitive wind developments such as those at Tangy etc. but this forest of 400ft high windmills will obliterate the leisure and tourist resource of west kintyre for 3 generations. Look at the maps Ship provided and you can see an impenetrable phalanx of turbines that will blot out the views from the Gauldrans round to A'Chleit that look across to Rathlin and looking up to Islay and Jura. If this goes ahead i urge you to go and take as many photos of the sunsets off the coast next year to show your children and grandchildren - because they will never see them again and they will have to drive up to Kennacraig to see the snow clad Paps of Jura in the winter.

As for beleiving this development will bring any significant economic benefits to the area - even short term ones, well even if it did, that would still not be a price worth paying for this desecration of Kintyre. But of course in reality the only real benefits will be to SSE shareholders, the Crown Estates and the Climate Change lobbyists. These turbines will be built in Poland, towed into place and erected by workers living on offshore platforms and the electricity link to the grid will most probably be via N.Ireland. Our tourist and leisure industry will be crippled. Because it is offshore SSE has no legal obligation to compensate in any way...not even to build some benches at Westport for the unemployed B&B owners to sit on and gaze at night at the majesty of the light pollution from the hundreds of aircraft beacons attached to the windforest ....

No proven environmental impacts...hmmmm. It is true that no windfarm of this scale has ever been placed so close to shore - so the impacts cannot be truly established. Nice to know Kintyre will be the experimental lab for these studies though and I guess some of the scientists may stay at local B&Bs.. One study I read of a 79 turbine offshore windfarm in Denmark showed that 14% of the migratory duck and geese flocks entered the windfarms at night and 5% at day, though those turbines were litle over half the height and spaced twice as widely as these ones will be. The seabird observatory at Machrihanish will be ideally placed (at under 2km from the nearest turbine) however to monitor the flocks as they enter the danger zone.... Who knows the seals and porpoise colonies might actually have a secret affinity for gigantic steel structures that are prone to leaking transformer oil. But all this will come out in the SSE led Environmental Impact Assessment - after all they have already begun the ornithological assessment during the quietest migratory period of the year in order to get a true picture.

[S6MMF]

Well an interesting debate about the proposal for this offshore wind project.

First off I will show my cards and say I have a biased view towards supporting such a project for Kintyre, I currently work in the wind industry and have done so for the past 10 years. For the past three year and to date I have worked on the complete construction/installation and now the operational phase of Scotlands first offshore wind project based in the waters of the Solway firth off the Dumfries & Galloway and Cumbrian coasts (Robin Rigg sand bank).

So based on my experiences I can give you some first hand honest facts of what such an huge wind project could bring to Kintyre.

Understandably I guess the biggest negative sitting on peoples minds about this project proposal for Kintyre is the sight of it sitting close off the Machrihanish bay. There’s no denying it won’t be to everyone’s taste but these things are becoming part of the modern way of life and there is no doubt about it we will see them popping up all over the place more and more. We need to keep our lights running and our fridges working!!

Community negatives

I really don’t think there is great point in concerning ourselves about the possibility of destroying our tourism, in my opinion a windfarm power plant in Machrihanish bay will not destroy our tourism. Campbeltown/Kintyre has got its own self destruct button for that; the A83 road to get there, it’s horrific and showing no sign of improvement. Then of course we have the Ireland ferry…say no more and the Wednesday afternoon scenario when the Waverly came ashore. The limited tourists that we see come here will still come as for many it’s a sentimental thing coming to Campbeltown. Lets be honest the single big thing that will keep our wee toon bustling is continued high class employment, not tourism, nor golf, although I do accept that golf plays the key part in putting Machrihanish on the map, but the golfers they will still play their game peacefully and with enjoyment, some may baulk at the sight of this project but it will pass and then become part of life. Then there’s the surfers - all this talk about a windfarm disrupting the sea for surfers and washing the dunes away, come on…..let’s keep this real, are people really thinking that will happen? It will have absolutely no effect on their ability to surf, the surfers will live on, they could even benefit from a project like this by requesting for community funding for facilities such as changing rooms toilets etc... it can happen read on………….

Community benefits

Construction and building of such a project – a project of this size during the construction phase alone will have a huge economic benefit to Campbeltown. There would be 200+ people working on the construction phase alone. That itself would go a long way to filling many hotels, guest houses, shops and bars in the area and a project of this size could take at least 18 months to construct, possibly longer. Now what comes with construction… not only do you have the building of the windfarm itself, you have the onshore operations facility that would need constructing, the harbour transfer facility, the vessels for transfer, the harbour usage for construction vessels, the construction and installation of both an offshore and onshore HV infrastructure.
The operations facility - now there is an opportunity for the community company at the old Machrihanish air field to capitalise on. A question for the owner/developer – is, would or could they intend to utilise helicopter transfers for maintenance crew as this could be a reality for round 3 projects, if so then there is another opportunity for the community company at the old air field, (bear in mind this is a minimum 20 year project). Then of course there is Skycon who could potentially be the front runners to supply the towers for such a project. I could go on and on.

Based on 180MW (60 turbines) power plant my job as lead supervisor is to plan, manage and maintain all turbines to a strict service regime. To do this it requires 22 full time staff, ranging from offshore engineers, office management/supervision, stores management, HSE management that’s only from my side. The owners of the windfarm project employ around 30+ employees. All of these people are employed in highly qualified roles, including offshore engineers, High Voltage engineers (HV) office management/supervision, stores management, not to forget cleaning and catering. Then there are the transfer boats, there are two full time transfer boats based on the windfarm for 60turbines which are each crewed and managed by 8 personnel, highly qualified skippers and deck hands (ex fishermen and lifeboat crews), the list goes on and on. The above doesn’t cover the scale of sub contractual maintenance work that is required (remember this power plan is there for 20 years). During this period there are high levels of annual statutory works which needs to be conducted by external companies; this will of course involve people to stay locally while this is being conducted. Based on the size this will result in many months of travellers working locally. It is a massive commitment to operate and maintain such a power plant.

COMMUNITY SUCCESSES FROM SUCH PROJECTS.

If some people are not aware there are Governance protocols in place for such projects. Community Benefit is available to Community Councils at least part of whose area is within a 15km radius of the windfarm. There is a financial formula for calculating the minimum benefits, click on the link below for full details. http://www.solwayheritage.co.uk/id82.html

I’m afraid we are in a David and Goliath situation. Goliath not being the owner/developer, but in fact the government and crown estate is, this has been granted by them(offshore round 3 projects) and based on their commitment to reducing emissions I think it will be a tough case to argue against, but hay ho you are entitled to challenge them. The UK is the front runner in offshore power plants, and this is going to gather more momentum in the next few years. At Machrihanish it is the sea bed conditions which are dictating the position of this project, so unfortunately it isn’t too easy to shift around the corner.

I fully support peoples concerns and the people groups to discuss such a project especially if you think it has a direct affect to you and your community, however based on the governments commitment to climate change I think this could be a challenge to oppose, so while together in you group meetings can I suggest some focus is directed more strongly towards the possibility of accepting this and then get on board with the owner/developer to get as much out of them as possible, don’t under sell yourselves in Kintyre / Machrihanish, these companies have big revenues and the more a power plant can produce per MW hour the more money you can inject into the community as a result.

So apart from the large employment created, here is a brief list of economic benefits currently being received into the local communities of Dumfries & Galloway and the parish councils in Cumbria from Scotlands first offshore windfarm in the Solway Firth (RobinRigg) and bear in mind this is split between various council communities based on 180MW, we could potentially have a whole fund for Kintyre (if homework is done) and based on a project of more than twice the output it could count up to a nice figure of money, something we would never see from the council, and something I think we would struggle to ever get from tourism. Industry is Campbeltowns primary route forward I think!

LIST OF BENEFITS

£100,000 Annual community funds (split between Dumfries & Galloway and Cumbria) NOTE: this has been committed for a minimum of the next 10years (£1million is not bad, bear in mind we could potentially double!!)

£50,000 donation to the Maryport inshore rescue team for a new lifeboat

£1000 donation each to Cockermouth mountain rescue, Workington lifeboat and Maryport inshore rescue for their help to replace equipment damaged as a result of the recent devastating floods in Cumbria.

Sponsorship of the Eco Schools officer in D&G, supporting visits to 64 Schools in 9 months (over 2000 children). Helping schools to gain their green flag and educate children about climate change and renewable energy sources.

Energy Experience - A school programme offered to primary and secondary schools for free. Delivering the message about saving energy, renewable energy and climate change……Let’s not forget our children here, they find this experience very interesting for their future.

Sponsor ship for various rotary groups and lions children’s groups.

This list goes on and on.

Hope you enjoyed the information and I hope it helps build a foundation for ensuring that if this goes ahead you ensure that we get every penny we can from this…….
Embrace this opportunity and turn it to your advantage, use your energies to create a positive experience instead of digging you heels in and resisting a golden opportunity for prosperity.

[jaffacat]

You`ve convinced me!

[Ship called Dignity]

LIST OF BENEFITS

£100,000 Annual community funds (split between Dumfries & Galloway and Cumbria) NOTE: this has been committed for a minimum of the next 10years (£1million is not bad, bear in mind we could potentially double!!)

If that is the top of the benefits why can't we just build ONE community one like they have in Tiree and raise £100,000 for the Community? See the link below

http://www.tireerenewableenergy.co.uk/

[mrsbagpuss]

I think its a shame that people get so worked up about the negatives and fail to open their eyes to the positives. Maybe financial benifits could include money for the renovation of the town hall and facilities at the Victoria hall? Thinking about all the positive things Campbeltown could do with a year on year guaranteed cash boost makes me excited about the possibilities for a cash strapped town......this money could go along way to upgrading the tourist attractions too - bike tracks etc...... not all visitors to Kintyre go to machrihanish to look at the view.

[S6MMF]

Yes you are right, that is a community owned Turbine and well done to them to generate extensive revenue for themselves. However it takes a huge plan and investment programme to install/build even one turbine, currently a cummunity like ours I would guess doesn't have the kind of money to build such in the first place.

Also from that £100,000 it is highly likely they will have their operating / maintenance costs and their investment pay back. Without going into definative figures I would guess it will take 8 years to repay the investment and operating costs before revenues could be taken.

The £100,000 that I quoted is based on the negotiated fund by the communities (GUARANTEED for 10 years), and is based on the MW hrs capable per average for 180MW, The proposal for Machrihanish is more that twice the MW hr (378MW hrs) capabilitys in the Solway, so it needs to take great community will power to get as much out of the developer/owner as possible, as I already said, don't under sell ourselves. these energy companies have big revenues...........

[bigchang]

well said bigfla at least the best informed posting on the subject. I have no issues about the windfarm sighting. NOT because I am employed within the sector BUT also know the longer term benefits that can be gleaned especially if you have the correct people onside. So I say lets get behind this project & not let it slip through our fingers like the sand at Machrihanish.

[Bobbie En Tejas]

Someone will make huge money off it and it probably isn't you and it probably isn't their backyard. What is it worth to destroy the beauty, a few pennies in the pocket?

Just sayin' ...

[LANDROVER ROGER]

Am I strange because I see grace in a wind turbine operating?I do not see them as an eyesore.

[MPR]

While I may not like the destruction of the view, I could live with the opportunity that it would bring to the area, It may in the long run, bring more visitors to the area due to an improvement in that abomination called the west road, maybe a ferry from the ayrshire coast .Probably a great benefit to us all.
I live close to many large windfarms and after you 1st notice a new one has gone up you really never see them again.Given the options I would rather see a wind farm than a coal plant generating electricity.
My one ? is will any of this generated electricity decrease the cost of power to the local communities? or is this just another play on the carbon tax?

[maganru]

I have had a wind farm behind our village for many years now and, no, it does not make any difference to the electricity charges. I've always thought it would be nice and obviously beneficial if that wind farm could have powered our village but that does appear to be a possibility. We are also surrounded by various opencast projects and, believe me, the turbines are much better than the opencast and all that it brings. Incidentally, neither of these projects does anything to help unemployment in this area.

Re the West Road, I have driven to Southend several times this year and the drive just gets better and better. I have absolutely no issues with the road and find the entire drive a pleasure, and have done during the 36 years years I have been living away. How on earth could you improve on it anyway? I now find myself stopping at different points just to look and take photos. The journey is different every single time I make it and it's all the better for that.

[S6MMF]

Maganru
Re the West Road, I have driven to Southend several times this year and the drive just gets better and better. I have absolutely no issues with the road and find the entire drive a pleasure, and have done during the 36 years years I have been living away. How on earth could you improve on it anyway? I now find myself stopping at different points just to look and take photos. The journey is different every single time I make it and it's all the better for that.

[/quote]

.....RE West road, when I referred to the A83, I didn't mean the drive itself, I agree it can sometimes be a pleasure...........what I was really meaning was the surface conditions of the road it is pretty bad, and getting worse, I'm sure over your past 36 years you must have noticed this getting worse, any way it's good to see you still keep coming back

PS: will such a windfarm potential at machrihanish put a stop to your return??

[mrsbagpuss]

I think the road from Inverary to Campbeltown is terrible and it is always 'a thought' to have to make that journey. Dodging pot holes is not somthing I enjoy I can not imagine as a tourist who is driving a camper van or toeing a caravan the experience is any better, regardless of the view? Anyway sorry to digress! That (the A83) is another subject for another discussion, but if there was one benefit from the community monies from a new offshore windfarm, I would recommend the roads are high on the agenda.

[jowett63]

S6MMF is missing the point a bit about the opposition to this windfarm. There can be nobody in Kintyre who would not welcome the potential short and medium term economic benefits that such an industrial scale project would bring and broadly speaking the folk around here have embraced the wind energy developments...we are not Luddites in that respect.
There are however some very big differences between the Solway development and that make this a very different proposition...The Solway windfarm has only 60 turbines in a 20km square area and is located 9-11km offshore in an area of intrinsically less beauty with a more mixed economy. This INSHORE windfarm will have 105 bigger turbines covering 70km square and will be only 1-3km from the most tourist intensive bay in Kintyre.
SSE could locate it further offshore and generate the same power and same potential benefits for the community, but they will not do so because it would cost more and increase the time for return on profit. So it is easier to destroy the livliehoods and ruin the amenity of the people of West Kintyre. As we have seen from the coalmines, industry comes and goes but the beauty of Kintyre provides an imperishable resource and source of employment ...unless of course we roll over and let it perish.
How much of the £360m build cost actually reached the people of Dumfries and Galloway BTW...the answer is not very much as pretty much all the construction work and now the ongoing support work is done from the English Ports of Maryport, Whitehaven and Workington. The Turbine bases were made in Belgium, the turbines were made by Vestas....but not here in Campbeltown when they owned the place....
Machdunes announced last week that they will shortly begin work on the Ugadale and Royal Hotels - investing £7.1million directly into the local economy and providing long term employment for 100+ folk on top of the 50+ they already employ on the new course, the Old Clubhouse and the Cottages....this investment has been long delayed because of fears of this inshore development. They are right to be worried. Interestingly the owner of the Caravan/Campsite at Machrihanish has been asking visitors if the plans for the inshore windfarm would influence their decision to return and sadly 80% said they would not if it went ahead.
As for compo from the Power company in the form of the Guaranteed £100k a year - (oops D&G got £50k didn't they!) wow, how stunningly generous of eON to lavish such largesse..that is equivalent to £1 per annum for evry household the windfarm will generate leccy for and probably equivalent to the depreciation in the houseprice and net business value of one of the B&Bs in Machrihanish.

Yes, let's all rush to seize this opprtunity from the hands of such generous, community minded philanthropists....