Posted on 06-07-2010 at 01:00
Bid Writers
Nick Oppenheim, who, in January, secured planning permission for the island’s first giant windfarm, now wants to build a further scheme on his private Eishken estate.
He plans to erect six turbines, each 160 metre high, on craggy hill slopes to the west of Loch Mor Stiomrabhaigh and immediately north of Beinn Eisgein.
There would be a number of access tracks, a substation, cabling and a permanent wind monitoring mast in addition to a temporary construction compound and quarries to excavate stone for the building works.
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Golden and sea eagles soar around the area and their collision risk with turbines will be based upon nine hours of survey’s each month over year.
If the 21.6 megawatt proposal, valued around £29 million, gets planning permission it would create a sprawling chain of enormous turbines merging the consented Eishken development with the neighbouring scheme proposed by SSE on the Pairc moorland grazings.
High voltage overhead lines would carry the electricity across the moor to a huge convertor station perched above the crofting village of Gravir for export under the Minch via a proposed sub-sea cable to the mainland.
The new build is called Eishken East and its go-ahead depends on the decision of the Scottish Government.
Mr Oppenheim previously obtained planning permission for a 13-turbine sub-scheme at Feiriosbhal, on the opposite side of the estate road, relatively quickly because it came in under the radar of the critical 50 MW planning limit.
Over that size and a windfarm is deemed to be a large power station requiring scrutiny from government ministers.
Though Eishken East drops well below the trigger point, Western Isles Council, which, on past form, would have given it a favourable ride, is prevented from making the final planning decision.
Instead it falls to Scottish Energy Minister Jim Mather who will consider it as an extension of the main £160 million, 118 MW, development.
The Scottish Government has received official notification from Mr Oppenheim about the new plans though a range of environmental surveys are required before formal planning permission is lodged.
The existing community benefit deal would be boosted financially. Some 1% of the new scheme’s revenue would be paid to a community trust Mr Oppenheim has established.
Mr Oppenheim has set up two companies, Beinn Mhor Power and Crionag Power, to progress the renewable energy venture sited 13 miles south-west of Stornoway.
The entire windfarm is up for sale, possibly under a partnership deal, as Mr Oppenheim seeks a very wealthy energy developer with the expertise to build and operate such a large scale scheme.
The private Eishken estate itself is excluded from any sale – so only the sites and energy rights would be leased to an incoming operator.
Mr Oppenheim promises that the annual £ 1 million plus benefit deal he struck with the community and Western Isles Council’s development trust would be honoured regardless of changes to ownership.
His attempts to build a giant windfarm on the Eishken estate has experienced a rough ride over the past seven years.
The original aim to erect 53 machines on Eishken were scuppered as about half were on a National Scenic Area (NSA). Following a public inquiry in 2008, plans were revamped with a slashed number of 39 generators all avoiding the NSA. The Scottish Government knocked out a few granting the go-ahead for 33 turbines.
