One down, but one to go

Renewed optimism follows “bitter disappointment” over Lewis wind farm

It was a case of one door closing, another opening for renewable energy on the island of Lewis.

Plans for what would have been Europe’s single largest onshore wind farm on the Hebridean island, with 181 turbines, were rejected by the Scottish government – shortly after it gave the green light for a 35-turbine project near Brora on the east coast of mainland Scotland.

But our attention shouldn’t stray from Lewis just yet – because npower renewables and Inverness-based company Wavegen have recently submitted plans to harness up to 4 megawatts of electricity from Atlantic waves entering the island’s Siadar Bay. Building on Wavegen’s experience of creating the world’s first commercial wave generator, the Siadar Wave Energy Project (SWEP) would be another step towards scaleable wave power, and the first development under the Scottish government’s Marine Supply Obligation. “By 2020 we hope to have at least 100MW of operating wave power stations in UK waters,” said Bill Langley, marine renewables development manager at npower. “I envisage this capacity being split between near shore schemes like Siadar and offshore, floating schemes.”

Langley acknowledges, however, that proven technologies and financial viability won’t be enough to open the waters for development: “Planning issues will come into play once wave power stations beyond the first demonstration schemes are proposed. It’s a busy sea out there – and environmental consultees’ raison d’être is to maintain the status quo.”

The fate of the Lewis Wind Farm certainly showed that planning restrictions won’t be bowled over by government targets. Although the 650 megawatt project would have contributed a sizeable chunk of the UK’s renewables target, the proposed site was a Special Protection Area designated under the EC Birds Directive. Chris Tomlinson, director of programme strategy at the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA), sees a crucial period ahead: “The government has targeted 10% of UK electricity supply to come from renewable sources by 2010, of which 4.5%, or around 6 gigawatts, will need to be sourced from onshore wind energy. Currently we have just over 5.5 gigawatts confirmed for delivery in 2010. Therefore, all eyes are firmly fixed on the next one or two key decisions from the Scottish government, who have the power to facilitate delivery of the target.” – Jon Wallace

24 June 2008

Jon Wallace