Lewis Wind Farm Decision Must Not Be Forced By Developer's Spin
Arnish yard can thrive without damaging contract in Hebrides
January 2008.
RSPB Scotland today called on Scottish Government Ministers not to be swayed by the spin of developers who want to build a massive wind farm in one of Europe's most highly protected wildlife sites. The developer, AMEC, is will ‘announce’ an agreement between one of the biggest proposed wind farms in the world on the Isle of Lewis and the local fabrication yard at Arnish to build the turbine towers - despite having already released this information to the public last year.
Whilst RSPB Scotland wishes the Arnish fabrication yard every success in attracting orders for turbines and also developing blade manufacturing capacity on Lewis, it believes that the press conference is simply an exercise in corporate spin to heap pressure on ministers so they will approve the massively damaging and controversial proposal that would destroy a huge area of the North Lewis Peatlands Special Protection Area (SPA).
January 2008.
RSPB Scotland today called on Scottish Government Ministers not to be swayed by the spin of developers who want to build a massive wind farm in one of Europe's most highly protected wildlife sites. The developer, AMEC, is will ‘announce’ an agreement between one of the biggest proposed wind farms in the world on the Isle of Lewis and the local fabrication yard at Arnish to build the turbine towers - despite having already released this information to the public last year.
Whilst RSPB Scotland wishes the Arnish fabrication yard every success in attracting orders for turbines and also developing blade manufacturing capacity on Lewis, it believes that the press conference is simply an exercise in corporate spin to heap pressure on ministers so they will approve the massively damaging and controversial proposal that would destroy a huge area of the North Lewis Peatlands Special Protection Area (SPA).
A recent order placed with the Arnish yard to produce turbines for a Turkish onshore wind farm should be warmly congratulated, showing, as it does, that the company has the ability to be a competitive player in the aggressive international renewables market.
However, it also shows that the future of the Arnish yard is not contingent upon the Lewis Wind Power proposal. Given AMEC's expressed support for the local Western Isles economy and the future of the Arnish yard in particular, RSPB looks forward to welcoming the news of AMEC awarding Arnish further contracts for their other wind farms in development across Scotland (of which there are at least five).
Together with development partner British Energy, AMEC are seeking permission to build a 181 turbine wind farm across an internationally important and sensitive peatland habitat protected in law by multiple nature conservation designations at national and international level. Recent EU decisions have shown that the European Court of Justice is taking the protection of such sites across Europe extremely seriously, and they have halted a number of developments that impact such areas.
Climate Change
The RSPB views climate change as the most serious long-term threat to wildlife in the UK and globally. It therefore supports the increased use of wind power to limit the use of fossil fuels that release carbon into the atmosphere, but believes wind farms must be sited, designed and managed so they do not significantly harm birds and other wildlife and their habitats. Between 2001 and 2006 RSPB was consulted on 1,165 renewables proposals, 90% of which raised no serious concerns.
However, it also shows that the future of the Arnish yard is not contingent upon the Lewis Wind Power proposal. Given AMEC's expressed support for the local Western Isles economy and the future of the Arnish yard in particular, RSPB looks forward to welcoming the news of AMEC awarding Arnish further contracts for their other wind farms in development across Scotland (of which there are at least five).
Together with development partner British Energy, AMEC are seeking permission to build a 181 turbine wind farm across an internationally important and sensitive peatland habitat protected in law by multiple nature conservation designations at national and international level. Recent EU decisions have shown that the European Court of Justice is taking the protection of such sites across Europe extremely seriously, and they have halted a number of developments that impact such areas.
Climate Change
The RSPB views climate change as the most serious long-term threat to wildlife in the UK and globally. It therefore supports the increased use of wind power to limit the use of fossil fuels that release carbon into the atmosphere, but believes wind farms must be sited, designed and managed so they do not significantly harm birds and other wildlife and their habitats. Between 2001 and 2006 RSPB was consulted on 1,165 renewables proposals, 90% of which raised no serious concerns.
