Wind Turbine Liaison Group Meeting 08/11/2016

SSE Hunterston Wind turbine Test Facility

Liaison Group Meeting: 08/11/2016 Summary

Attended by Rita Holmes and Karla Tully on behalf of FCC. Millport and Largs CC’s also attended.

SSE stated that the Hunterston site presents a unique location in UK which enables off shore wind turbines to be safely tested on shore due to weather conditions and accessibility.

Site has 3 ‘berths’: 2 utilised; third held by Scottish Enterprise but unlikely to be occupied in this planning period.

SSE Site:

Siemens Turbine (D6)

• Current planning permission until October 2017, SSE asking for 2 year extension.

• Porto-type built on site 2014, coming to end of testing with a 6 mega watt output.
• Successfully secured orders for 300 to 350 in UK waters at Moray Firth and Galloper (East Anglia). Meets International Electrical Technical (IET) standards.
• Gear-less motor to extend life and minimise maintenance requirements.
• SSE want to extend site to enable Siemens to train engineers safely.
• Recognise that Training Centre should benefit local community with small number of jobs, education opportunities and facilities.

Mitsubishi Turbine

• SeaAngel™ turbine – featuring unique hydraulic technology developed in Scotland – 7MW output.
• Only operating intermittently. In early test phase

Sgurr

• Local Glasgow firm developing ‘met’ mast measuring systems using lasers transmitted upwards.
• Proposal to use site to test laser technology.
• No impact on safety known.
• Details to follow.

S42 Planning Application

• December 2016: Application to extend current permission to October 2019.
• If successful, will then apply for major planning application to be defined.
• Local CC’s asked that use of each ‘berth’ always consulted upon in application.

SSE Presentation : Issues raised by members of the public at FCC on 5th December 2016.

1. Scottish Government (SNP) Policy does not advocate windturbines as principle renewable energy source?

PA responded that funding is received from Scottish Government.

1. SSE Social finding allocates £50K across three local communities; MOP suggested that app £800K per KW potentially, (£millions generated even though not fully commissioned?), and asked for a more representative contribution of permission granted. PA to look in to.
2. Light pollution increased. PA stated turbines site does not produce light. Likely to be Hunterston Power Station and Peelport.
3. Concerns that planning permission should still allow for review of change of use of any part of the site whilst operational , and that a generic or blanket permission is not granted.
4. On request from TM (NAC), SSE committed to submit planning application after Christmas to allow all interested parties reasonable time to respond.
5. MOP believes that permission only granted previously as NAC Chair was pro wind power and that locals were always concerned that the 5 years would always be manipulated. PA assured those present that the site was for testing and training only and application was not for a generation site.
6. Environmental impact and health impacts of infra sound a real concern especially as these are the biggest turbines on land world wide; residents complaining of dizziness. SSE have commissioned a recent independent acoustic survey; results January 2017.
7. Have SSE considered impact on marine life? Ask for an environmental impact assessment that looks at

whole area – land and sea.

1. When will full noise survey be made as turbines are not at full capacity? Concerns that SSE are not really taking locals’ concerns seriously.

Relevant article :http://acousticstoday.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/How-Does-Wind-Turbine-Noise-Affect-People.pdf