Barra Community Wind Turbine goes to planning

29 May, 2009 - 09:01 — admin

Barra Community Wind Turbine goes to planning

Coimhearsnachd Bharraidh agus Bhatarsaidh have this week lodged a planning application, with CnES, for a 900KW wind turbine to be located at Scùrabhal point in Eoligarry. The application is a hefty document including an environmental statement and 12 supplementary reports to support the planning document.

The application seeks permission to build a turbine up to 91metres (300 feet) high, though it is expected the actual development will be closer to 75 metres (250 feet) in height. The proposal also includes an access track to the turbine site.

Work on this project commenced in later 2005, has made some important steps including gaining a grid connection offer from Scottish and Southern Energy and having established a metrological mast on the site. The met mast has recorded wind speeds averaging over 10ms-1 (22mph) which is at the top end of expectations and should provide an excellent resource. The project has also overcome some significant obstacles, the main one of these being the requirements laid out to verify that corncrakes and other wild fowl do not use or fly over the site, in either day light or darkness. Overcoming these obstacles has been the main reason for the prolonged project timescale.

The next stage of the development will be reaching an agreement with a turbine manufacturer and finding finance to take the project forward.

Euan and Gerard are happy to field any questions members of the community might have about the project and hope to stage a public event to explain how the project is developing in the near future.