Site last updated on Saturday, October 20, 2007

On this page is a collection of information gathered from Wind Energy, (the company talking of the wind factories in Ardnamurchan and Morvern), as well as verifiable data from various sources. Wind Energy have not yet proposed anything in writing beyond the installation of six anemometers , one of which has been withdrawn and four of the others refused permission by the Highland Council. The permitted anemometer has yet been installed at its site in the area of the Glen Sanda Quarry site (May 2005).

Wind Energy use the tactic of saying one thing one day and another the next. Numbers and locations go up and down, they deny minuted statements made at public meetings and they claim to have installed wind farms which cannot be identified.

It is therefore difficult to be specific about this monstrous idea until firm proposals are in the planning process. It is very likely they will drop the proposed number of turbines substantially as the project draws nearer, 'responding to public opinion'.

• The Wind Energy are coy about the actual size and position of the turbine clusters, but have spoken at minuted public meetings of a massive industrial site with up to FIVE HUNDRED turbines, each 105m or 346 feet high. This is THREE times the height of the Ardnamurchan lighthouse. A structure of this height can be seen at sea level from 23 miles away. But these would be built above the 250 metre contour and could be visible from 75 miles away.

• This size of wind factory alone would produce 1000MW (megawatts) of power. Total (June 2004) UK wind power production was only 717MW. (from the British Wind Energy Association website)

• Turbines are have a load factor of around 25%(see below) - that is, they only produce that percentage of their rated output due to the fact that they can only operate within a tight range of wind speeds, and also because of heavy electrical loss in their operation and during power transmission - the longer the distance to the grid, the worse the loss. Because of this, community benefits are not as good as they seem - the actual cash will be a quarter of any forecast based on the factory's maximum rated capacity.

• In 1998 the New Labour Government declared load factors as 'confidential'. Because of this, and in the absence of factual data, the latest DTI statistics tell us we should use 24% when calculating load factors, rather than the 30% used by the wind industry. (DTI)

• Because the turbines operate for less than 25% of the time, they need back-up by conventional power stations, which must be running all the time and when in standby mode unavoidably emit large quantities of CO2. Therefore any reduction in CO2 emissions derived from wind energy is offset to a certain extent by this, unless nuclear power is the chosen alternative. Any number of wind factories cannot replace a single conventional power station without inviting frequent blackouts, especially in England, where most of the power will be used.

• Wind energy is not free. The product cannot be stored, and feeding it into the national grid is complex and costly - a bill ultimately paid by the consumer, as are the grants for development of the installations.
  

• Turbines of this size need a foundation hole the size of a very large bungalow. Each of the five hundred holes takes 300 tonnes of reinforced concrete to fill it.

• Each turbine needs an access road rated at 75 tonnes for the construction cranes, which are built up on site to a total weight of 120 tonnes - the biggest lorries on our motorways are 48 tonnes. Axle weight for these cranes will need to be 10 to 12 tonnes, even if they could fit along our narrow roads, which have an advisory weight limit of 8.5 tonnes.

• Calculated from figures spoken of by Wind Energy, one hundred miles of new tracks will be needed across fragile peat for a five hundred turbine farm. These must remain for service access.

• When peat is disturbed, for instance by digging holes for turbines and building roads, peat decomposition accelerates and CO2 is released to the atmosphere. Depending on the area, 2000 - 4000 kilograms of carbon per hectare per year is emitted. (Centre for Hydrology & Ecology, Penicuik)
  

• Our road network is chronically unsuitable. Materials and machinery would come in by sea, and that means new jetties, storage facilities and massive road works.

• People affected will be living or holidaying within the largest heavy industrial site in Britain.

• The Scottish Executive was told in January 2004 by its own renewable energy specialists that a sub-sea cable for the Sound of Mull will not realistically be built for twenty years - by that time, Wind factories will be outmoded.

• The 'Western Isles' sub sea cable will run from Skye to Ullapool. It will not come south towards Ardnamurchan. (Radio Scotland, January 2004)

• Originally, Wind Energy said that power would be taken out of the peninsula by a sub-sea cable down the Sound of Mull. However, since the announcement that the cable from the Outer Isles and Skye will now come ashore at Ullapool, a Wind Energy representative has spoken of 'a line to the east, but not on pylons'. 400,000 volt transmission pylons are currently 63m high. Putting cables underground requires a corridor as wide as a motorway and is claimed by the industry to be ten times more expensive than pylons.

• The local Distribution Network runs at a relatively low voltage (11,000 maximum) and cannot carry such large amounts of power. For technical reasons a 400,000 volt Transmission Network would be needed and there are no plans for this. Even east of Loch Linnhe the grid cannot carry the 5000 amps which Wind Energy claim the farms will generate. Put simply, the power cannot get out of the area.
  

• Few, if any, local jobs will be created - specialist teams from outside will install and maintain the farms.

• House prices are already affected by the threat of this development. The forecast is for a 20% to 30% drop. (Daily Telegraph, February 14th 2004) Note: Ironically, in an age when local young people cannot afford housing, this could be perceived as a positive effect.

• Loch Sunart alone has eleven SSSIs. The area has National Nature Reserves, National Scenic Areas, an RSPB Reserve and Special Areas of Conservation. There are a large number of eagle eyries.

• Wind Energy say that a possible 231 turbines near Kilchoan will be at least 300m apart, not be in the National Scenic Area of the north coast nor near Loch Sunart, will all be sited between the 250m and 400m contours, will be 500m from the nearest house and a mile and a half from any eagles' nests. This number of turbines will not physically fit within such a defined area.

• Messages are already being received from regular visitors that they will not return as tourists if this development takes place. A VisitScotland survey estimates that 6,250 tourist-related jobs are set to disappear in Scotland due to windfarms.

• DEFRA recently commissioned research by Casella Stanger into the hazards of 'infrasound' - frequencies of 20 cycles per second or less (well below the lowest note on a piano). It identifies infrasound as a source of stress-related illness, and cites wind turbines amongst the common hazards. (See also Daily Telegraph 25th January 2004)
  

• Because the proposal is for more than 50MW it falls into the Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 and any final decision will be taken at the Scottish Executive. There will be a consultation-only process by the Highland and Argyll Councils, although we are told that the Councils' advice is almost always followed. (Highland Councillor Dr Michael Foxley)

• Wind Energy has seven shareholders, all of whom live in southern England. It operates from an address at 18 Bedford Row, London, (Companies House January 2004). This may be an accommodation address, since at least fifteen companies popped up there during a web search. It also has an Edinburgh address.

• In January 2004, paid-up shares in Wind Energy amounted to just £3,309. The apparent major shareholder, with just over 30%, was Mark Shorrock. Another was a Chartered Surveyor, Thomas Cooper. (Companies House January 2004)

• No accounts were available for Wind Energy in January 2004. (Companies House January 2004)

• Wind Energy had built no wind farms, as far as we could discover, by June 2004.

• There is a booming market in wind factory projects and as soon as stage one planning permission is granted the whole project could, and probably will, simply be sold on to generate cash. At that point, any bonds or promises for community 'benefit' could be very questionable.

What can you do if you don't like this desecration?

• You should protest - use the addresses on our address page.

• Write to SNH in Fort William, and to the RSPB in Inverness, expressing your concerns about the impact of this development on the area.

• You should take part in the Public Meetings which will be organised by the Joint Community Councils.

• You should NOT assume that because the proposal is unacceptable or unworkable that 'it won't be allowed to happen'. That's up to all of us.