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Strong gusts jettison North Harris wind farm       24/12/09

 

 

 

Plans for the community wind farm on North Harris have been abandoned over fears fierce gusts could wreck the turbines.

 

Excessive wind shear on the hill behind Ardhasaig quarry has made the scheme too financially risky. It is feared that the turbulence on the site would damage the proposed three turbines.

 

Nearly two years ago, the community-owned North Harris Trust, received planning permission to build three machines on the slopes of Monan, three miles north of Tarbert.

 

The 2.5 megawatt capacity project was led by North Harris Trading Co, the fully owned commercial trading subsidiary of the Trust. It was unique in securing a grid connection and was also awarded a £ 900,000 lottery grant - which will now be effectively handed back - for the scheme.

 

The community developer previously struggled to find a manufacturer willing to supply the relatively small-sized turbines.

 

Then for much of this year, it emerged, through ongoing speed monitoring tests, that the wind turbulence was too strong for the machines to work at full speed.

 

The wind farm would have to shut down when the wind got up or operate well below its best capacity thus creating 50% less energy.

 

Profits would have plummeted because the scheme would only earn about half its expected income meaning the body would seriously struggle to pay back a £1 million business loan.

 

David Cameron, who chairs the trading company, said the “very frustrating” decision to shelve the project was “based on good commercial reasoning.”

 

“It has always been acknowledged within the community that when the element of risk in any project is out of proportion with the potential return, it should be avoided.”

 

The Monan site was at the time of initial evaluation the only site in North Harris which was theoretically suitable for wind development.

 

Mr Cameron explained: “Unfortunately detailed on-site wind recording concluded that  there is a problem on this site with the adjacent high and undulating land and the resulting turbulence.

 

“We successfully secured overwhelming community support, a grid connection agreement, a substantial lottery grant offer of £ 900,000 and planning permission but securing a commercially viable wind turbine proved impossible.

 

“We did receive a definite offer of a turbine from one manufacturer earlier in the year, but to obtain the required financial standard guarantee with the machine in such a difficult location, operational constraints  were required which would cut the possible energy output  by half.

 

“These controls therefore meant that the income from the project would also be halved with the result that the anticipated profit could not justify financial borrowings of close to £1 million.

 

“The Big Lottery Fund has been advised that we are unable to take up their financial offer on  this specific site. They understand the reasoning and are aware of the substantial effort made by North Harris Trading Company to secure a successful project.

 

“We have been assured by them that this will not adversely influence any future application from the Trust.

 

The North Harris Trading Company also intends to progress two small scale hydro-power schemes which, so far have not suffered the same planning process delays of the wind turbines.

 

Mr Cameron added: ““Very disappointing though the Monan wind-turbine project decision is to us, it must be equally disappointing to the many people and organisations that have helped us for over five years.

 

“To them and members of our own community a big thank you for your support. We’ll try even harder with the hydro projects.”

 

The North Harris confirmed grid connection for 2.5 megawatt is also to be given up.

 

Mr Cameron hoped it would be offered to another like-minded community energy scheme.