By Graham Huband
Work on a £2 billion wind farm off the Fife coast will begin next year
after the courts threw out a last ditch attempt to scupper the project.
Developers Mainstream Renewable Power said it expected to create 500
construction jobs after the final hurdle to developing out its Neart Na
Gaoithe wind farm was overcome.
The project – and two other nearby arrays proposed by Inch Cape and
Seagreen with a collective development value of circa £10 billion – have
been in limbo for more than two years after bird protection charity RSPB
Scotland launched a court action to overturn planning permission granted to
the developers by Scottish Ministers.
RSPB Scotland initially won its case but the decision was overturned in May
in a ruling presided over by Scotland’s most senior judge, Lord President,
Lord Carloway.
The bird conservation group last month lodged an application with the Inner
House of the Court of Session seeking leave to appeal that decision to the
Supreme Court, but that request has now been denied.
Mainstream said the decision cleared the way for it to build the 450MW
Neart Na Gaoithe array.
It is the most advanced of the three projects, with both development
funding and a power contract in place.
“After more than two years and two court hearings, we hope that the RSPB
acknowledges a fair hearing and allows us to get on with delivering the
very significant benefits this project brings to the Scottish economy and
its environment,” Andy Kinsella, chief operating officer, Mainstream
Renewable Power said.
“Once constructed this £2bn project will be capable of supplying 325,000
homes – a city the size of Edinburgh – with clean energy.
“It will create more than 500 direct jobs during construction and over 100
direct permanent jobs once operational. £540 million will be directly
invested in Scotland during the construction phase with a further £610m
during the operational phase.
“We are delighted with the decision and look forward to working
constructively with the RSPB to take the wind farm into construction next year.
“This project was consented by Scottish Ministers in October 2014 on the
advice of Scottish Natural Heritage and Marine Scotland.
“We have been rigorous throughout the project to work with partners and
supply chain businesses to find the best possible way to deliver the
project and we are looking forward to seeing NnG up and running.”
The Mainstream project will see a maximum of 64 turbines installed at the
NNG site off Fife Ness.
The figure is almost exactly half of the 125 envisaged when the original
array application was made in 2012.
The company said the reduction was as a result of technological advances in
the intervening years.
The Inch Cape development will be situated off the coast of Angus and
consist of up to 72 turbines. It is expected to go into construction in 2020.
The largest of the proposed developments is Seagreen, which will be built
out in phases.
The first two zones – Seagreen Alpha and Bravo are also situated off the
coast of Angus and would collectively have a power generation capacity of
more than 1GW.
RSPB Scotland have yet to comment on the latest court decision.
However, in a statement last month the group’s direct Anne McCall said they
were pursuing leave to appeal as they were concerned the decision to allow
construction created “worrying precedents for the protection of wildlife
across Scotland and the UK.”
Try the new Yahoo Mail
0 Comments