Extracts from NATTA's journal
Renew, issue 145Sept-Oct 2003

7. Renewables in Scotland Wind hit by planning delays

Scottish Power has warned that delays to planning permission for a series of wind farms was jeopardising more than £800m of investment in renewable energy. Scottish Power has run into a serious dispute with BAA, the airports operator, over its plans to build two relatively large onshore wind farms at Whitelee, near Glasgow and Black Law, near Edinburgh. BAA claims the wind turbines pose a threat to radar facilities and hence to aircraft safety at the two cities’ airports, but the company say the technology already existed to overcome this problem and was operating in Denmark, Holland and the US. In the last year Scottish Power has applied to build 279MW of wind farm capacity, giving a total of 546MW now waiting for planning consent. It has plans for a further 300MW on potential sites.

The company also plans to spend between £300-£400m upgrading its transmission network over the next 10 years to accommodate increased supplies of renewable energy. Source: The Guardian

New Hydro for Loch Ness

Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE) has applied to the Scottish Executive for permission to build Britain’s first major hydro-electric scheme for 40 years. The £85m scheme would be at Glendoe, near Fort Augustus, on the banks of Loch Ness and would have between 50 and 100 megawatts of generating capacity. It would take four years to complete and create up to 400 jobs during construction.

The power station, which is likely to be built underground, would involve collecting water from about 75 square kilometres in a new reservoir over 600 metres above the SE corner of the Loch. The drop from the reservoir to the turbine at the side of the Loch would be the biggest of any hydro station in the UK.

SSE says the scheme has been subject to a detailed environmental assessment, the scope of which was developed in consultation with Scottish Natural Heritage and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Ian Marchant, SSE’s chief executive, said: "This year marks the 60th anniversary of the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board, and so it is fitting that, as its successor, we should be seeking permission to build Scotland’s first large-scale hydro-electric scheme for 40 years". Sources: Guardian/Scotsman