Offshore windfarm attacked by aliens

Stunning photo!
Perhaps we should have a heading/caption competition?

Photo: Chris Jones

Vorsprung durch Shellfish

The recent shelving of the London Array windfarm extension has attracted considerable media attention. Allegedly it was due to uncertainty over whether the development would harm a protected bird species. See these articles:

• Telegraph: Offshore windfarm scrapped due to fears over birds
• BBC news: Sea bird halts London Array wind farm expansion
• Grist news: World’s biggest offshore wind farm won’t expand because of bird

However, something seems a little 'fishy' (excuse the potential pun) about this saga.

It either means that wildlife is indeed benefiting from the thorough protection it so richly deserves, or there could be more to it than is reported in the media, i.e. perhaps there are other factors (financial?) in the background, and the wildlife issue is just an 'excuse', or it could subsequently be used as ammunition for 'green crap' reduction measures.

In any case, it is worth bearing in mind that properly designed/sited offshore windfarms can actually be beneficial for wildlife. See "Vorsprung durch Shellfish" article (with thanks to Alban Thurston for coining the splendid phrase) and the recent Friends of the Earth report report under the heading Marine Renewables, Biodiversity and Fisheries.

Severn Trent turbines at Derby Sewage Treatment Works, Spondon

Nice photos (courtesy of Nottingham Pro Wind Alliance) of Severn Trent's turbine at the Derby Sewage Treatment Works, Spondon, which should be producing electricity soon.

See also Severn Trent press release here and article in Derby Telegraph here.

Severn Trent turbine at Newthorpe sewage works

Nice photos (courtesy of Nottingham Pro Wind Alliance) of Severn Trent's turbine at the Newthorpe sewage works next to Awsworth, which should be producing electricity next month. Awsworth/Newthorpe was the first turbine proposal Nottingham Pro Wind Alliance actively supported.

See also Severn Trent press release here.

Boddington Turbine is 'up'

A ProWA member visited the newly erected Boddington wind turbine yesterday and took the photo below. Good to see the turbine 'up' at last. We look forward to seeing it 'spinning' and producing green electricity in due course. For further information please refer to the two links under "Good News: Dec 2011: Daventry District Council approves Boddington turbine, following officer's recommendation" on the ProWA website.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall: Wind power vital part of our future

Looks like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall is an eminently sensible chap. He reckons wind power is vital part of our future. Hear, hear! And about time windfarms are seen as "fundamentally normal". Perhaps Janet Street Porter (also mentioned in the article) will get the picture eventually?

Wanlip turbine completion

An exciting new landmark at the northern outskirts of Leicester has just been completed – Severn Trent's wind turbine at Wanlip

According to an article published in the Leicester Mercury on 2nd December, some people haven't yet got over their 'fear of the new'. Perhaps they have never seen one of these majestic turbines in action? Based on the experience in other parts of Leicestershire, e.g. Swinford, one assumes that local residents will quickly get used to this new addition to the landscape and begin to appreciate it as a marvel of engineering that produces essentially carbon free electricity.

See further images of the completed turbine below, taken on 3rd December.
All photographs and captions kindly provided by Graham Stocks.

 

 Image above taken from a layby on the A6 at a distance of 570 metres.

 

 

Image above (zoomed) from another layby at a distance of 420 metres

 Both images above taken from the north west of the site at a distance of 1.72km.
The location is a plant nursery and adjacent road just to the north of Mountsorrel.

 

 

Images above taken from Castle Hill in Mountsorrel - a distance of 3.3 km.
The image at the top was taken at a standard focal length.

Images above taken from Dutchman's Wall (Rothley) near to the junction with Hallfields Lane. The distance from Dutchman's Wall to the turbine is approximately 1.2 km. The top image was taken at a standard focal length. The zoomed image at the bottom gives a clue as to where the turbine is. With summer foliage on the trees it would be very difficult to see the turbine.