Windfarm reduced in size

The proposed windfarm which is being planned in the north and west of the Isle of Lewis has been downsized a bit. Initially, there would have been 234 turbines, each standing 460 feet / 140 metres tall. Now, there will be only 181 turbines, a further reduction from an earlier downsizing to 190.

The above map, in which the distance between Stornoway and the village of Bragar is 18 miles, shows the turbines in the new proposal. The blue dots indicate where 53 turbines will no longer be placed.

In a consultation period, which is the Christmas and New Year holiday, this will be subject to public scrutiny. The windfarm, which is calculated to generate 625 MW of electricity, is mooted as a major boost for the Western Isles' economy. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds is a prominent objector, and it has been its input which led to the reduction in size. The massive turbines could kill substantial numbers of birds like golden eagles. The other reason for objection is the fact that the windfarm will wholly be built on peat, which covers the island's interior, and is a protected habitat under European conservation law.