Aberdeen Bay Wind Farm

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Aberdeen Bay Wind Farm
Aberdeen Bay Wind Farm is located in Scotland
Aberdeen Bay Wind Farm
Location of Aberdeen Bay Wind Farm in Scotland
Country Scotland
Location Aberdeen Bay
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Status Proposed
Owner(s) European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre
Wind farm
Type Offshore
Distance from shore 3 km (2 mi)
Power generation
Units planned 11
Nameplate capacity 100 MW

Aberdeen Bay Wind Farm is a proposed offshore wind farm to be located around 3 kilometres off the east coast of Aberdeenshire, in the North Sea, Scotland. It is being developed by the European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre consortium.[1] The scheme consists of 11 wind turbines with an installed capacity of up to 100 megawatts.[1] It is to be located between Blackdog and Bridge of Don near Aberdeen.[2]

Planning

The wind farm was initially proposed by the Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG) in 2003.[3] The original plan was for 20 two-megawatt turbines in an eight kilometres long row about 1 kilometre offshore.[3] A geological survey of Aberdeen Bay was begun in 2007,[4] and a grant of 40 million euros was offered by the European Commission in 2009.[2] The proposal at that stage was for a maximum of 23 turbines.[2]

A planning application was lodged in August 2011.[5] The application was submitted by Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group (AREG) in cooperation with two other companies, Vattenfall and Technip.[5] The proposal was for 11 turbines.[5] Planning consent was granted by the Scottish government in March 2013.[6]

In May 2013 Vattenfall announced plans to reduce its stake in the project.[7] In October 2013 Aberdeenshire councillors rejected a planning application to build an electricity substation.[8] In December 2013 it was announced that construction would be delayed for two years, with connection of the grid occurring in 2017.[9] In January 2014 an appeal against the substation vote was lodged.[10] The developers won the appeal in July 2014.[11]

Objections by the RSPB

In 2006 RSPB Scotland expressed concern about the effect the wind farm and Donald Trump's golf course would have on the wildlife on the Aberdeenshire coast.[12] In 2011 the RSPB called for "more planning, research and monitoring ... to ensure we truly understand the impact this site may have on local birds."[13] By 2012 the RSPB dropped opposition to the wind farm following the reduction in the number of turbines and a change in the layout.[14]

Objections by Donald Trump

American billionaire Donald Trump purchased a large part of the Menie estate near the village of Balmedie in 2006. He proposed to build a golf course, with a hotel, holiday homes and a residential village.[15] He expressed his concerns about the wind farm in April 2006 stating that "I want to see the ocean, I do not want to see windmills."[12] In September 2011 the Trump Organization filed an objection to the planning application.[16] Donald Trump also wrote to Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond objecting to the turbines calling them "environmentally irresponsible".[16] In a follow-up letter in the same month, he went on to describe the wind turbines as "ugly", and that he was "fighting for the benefit of Scotland."[17]

In January 2012 Donald Trump halted work developing the golf resort pending a decision on the wind farm by Scottish ministers.[18] In March 2012 Trump sent another letter to Alex Salmond warning the first minister that he would become "known for centuries" as "the man who destroyed Scotland".[19] Appearing before the Scottish Parliament's economy, energy and tourism committee in April 2012 he claimed that he been "lured" into building the golf resort upon assurances by the former and current first ministers, Jack McConnell and Alex Salmond, that the wind farm would not be built.[20] Jack McConnell and Alex Salmond denied the claims.[20] Trump stated that his golf course was due to open in July, but his plans for a hotel and hundreds of homes on the site had been put on hold.[20] In September 2012 complaints were upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority about newspaper adverts commissioned by The Trump Organization which gave "a misleading impression of the possible consequences of the Scottish government's plans to use wind turbines."[21] In October 2012 Trump attacked RSPB Scotland for dropping opposition to the wind farm claiming that "their name should be changed to RSKB - Royal Society for the Killing of Birds."[14] Later that month his lawyers called for a public inquiry into the wind farm.[22] In December 2012 an advertisement sanctioned by The Trump Organization appeared in print which claimed that "tourism will suffer and the beauty of your country is in jeopardy".[23] The advert was later ruled "misleading" by the Advertising Standards Authority.[23]

When planning consent was granted by the Scottish government in March 2013 Trump vowed to "spend whatever monies are necessary to see to it that these huge and unsightly industrial wind turbines are never constructed."[6] In May 2013 Trump launched a legal challenge against the Scottish government's decision to grant planning permission for the wind farm.[24] The hearing began at the Court of Session in November 2013,[25] but was rejected in February 2014.[26] An appeal against the decision was heard at the Court of Session in January 2015,[27] but Trump lost the appeal in June 2015.[28] After the decision Trump said he would appeal before both the Supreme Court of the UK and the European Courts.[28] Trump was unanimously found to be the loser of the case by the UK Supreme Court in December 2015.[29]

References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Trump International Golf Club Scotland Limited v The Scottish Ministers [2015] UKSC 74
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