Renewable energy opportunities
There appears to be good news on the immediate horizon with the news that a hydrogen generating floating marine wind tower may be sited in the Minch.Hebrides News has much more detail on the proposal, and this photo which is indicative of the planned structure.
Before we all rush out and claim that This Is The Future, we should bear in mind that it is combining a number of unproven technologies in a test setting. However, we should welcome the opportunities that it offers for employment and to become a Centre of Excellence (what a cliché!) for renewables.
The possibilities for off-shore wind are limited in the islands, partly due to the depth of the water making tradition wind tower building methods impractical. In the shallow North Sea it is totally workable, such as at Horns Rev, which I have been lucky enough to see.
Having been Chair of the Tanker-Traffic in the Minch Working Group with Highland Council, I have a slight concern about the potential problems with the location of this proposal, but I hope that all parties can pull together to grasp this opportunity with both hands, and I look forward to getting more information about this exciting plan.
(BTW, if offshore power replaces onshore power then everyone should be happier)
7 comments:
I already forming two new protest groups.....
Make Waves Turbine-free
and
Prawns Against Wavepower
ssshhh! You'll give them ideas!
MWT = 'Minch without turbines' so no new letterheads, posters etc, but who is to look after the interests of the seals, the dolphins,the prawns, the gugas, the golden eagles, cormorants, kittiwakes,shags,arctic skua and the velvet scoter to name but a few. Furthermore if a ship can hit Scalpay and another can hit the Summer Isles as has happened in the recent past what chance has a turbine cluster. Nah. And another thing what about the cruise liner passengers? They would not want their seascape despoiled by industrial scale developments. Nah leave the Minch alone
MWT = Moronic Whinging Tw@
I suspect MWT are wetting themselves laughing at this one. The crofts of Bragar will be full of mirth. It is up there with Sound of Harris tunnels and Castle Grounds railways in terms of optimistic media stories.
A closer bet to reality would be Sandray becoming a nuclear storage site - that is where my money is. This renewables stuff is all to divert our attention away from getting nuclear in the back door.
you left out the rare and now almost extinct cock-a-leekie... which has been known to fly out at sea.
wait till the dolphin huggers get on the case with this one
Save
Our
Dolphins
Ocean
Future
First
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