EXCLUSIVE by Scottish Energy News
A Scandinavian industrial conglomerate has applied to build an extension to its Scottish wind farm with some turbine wing-tip heights extending to more than 600-ft – about the same height as the towers on the new Forth road bridge.
The Olsen turbines would be as tall as the 200-metres blades which are currently being rejected by local communities in the Western Isles against similar plans by the mostly-nuclear French giant EDF.
But because Fred Olsen Renewables has already received planning permission for – and built – three previous phases at the Crystal Rig wind farm in the Lammermoor Hills in the Borders – the company says it does not need to get any fresh planning permission from the local council as it has ‘deemed permission’
But Olsen Renewables still requires consent from the Scot-Govt under the UK Electricity Act because of the size of the proposed new development, which would entail building 11 new turbines at the 48MW Crystal Rig 4 wind farm.
The proposed site is located on ground that is currently used for rough grazing and in commercial forestry and there is a presumption in favour of development under the national planning and infrastructure framework imposed on local authorities by the Scot-Govt.
Olsen Renewables has a renewable electricity generating capacity of 529.7 MW across five sites in Scotland.
See also:
Spider’s web of Scottish ‘power players’ in French nuclear giant’s plan to build the highest UK onshore wind turbine towers on Isle of Lewis
14 Jun 2018
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