David Ross
Highland Correspondent
German engineering giant Siemens has installed a market-ready version of
its gearless wind turbine.
The project is taking place on energy firm SSE’s test site at Hunterston,
North Ayrshire, in preparation for the development of offshore wind farms
round Britain.
The company says the coastal location next to the Firth of Clyde is
perfectly suited for testing of offshore wind turbines. A Siemens spokesman
said: “The surrounding wind conditions are similar to those to which
offshore wind power plants in the Irish Sea are exposed.”
Earlier this year, the firm installed two of the 6MWs turbines at the
Gunfleet Sands offshore wind farm less than four and a half miles
south-east of Clacton-on-Sea in Essex.
Jan Kjaersgaard, chief executive of the EMEA Business Unit at Siemens Wind
Power, said: ” We are proud to be installing the serial version of our 6-MW
wind turbine in Hunterston.
“The United Kingdom is backing our technology in a particular way. That’s
why we are seeking to collaborate with the country’s power suppliers right
from the product development stage through to commissioning.
“We are focused on making a visible contribution to the UK’s economy.”
In October, Siemens will also open a new hub in Livingston to support its
onshore wind business across the UK. With a permanent staff of more than
30, it will manage onshore projects in England, Scotland and Ireland, and
co-ordinate construction, installation and EHS (Environment, Health and
Safety) operations. Siemens already employs about 1300 people in its
growing renewables business in the UK
But conservationists are watching the Hunterston development closely for
any impact on wildlife on this part of the Firth of Clyde.
A spokesman for RSPB Scotland said “The location of this turbine beside the
Southannan Sands Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) means that we
have engaged with the local authority and developer to ensure construction
is minimised during the winter months when this important area of sand and
mud-flats becomes particularly rich in birds.”
The charity has already fought controversial plans for a massive new
coal-fired power station with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology
for the Hunterston site. They were dropped last year after North Ayrshire
Council had earlier rejected them following over 20,000 objections, many
from environmentalists.
0 Comments