LewisHarris i1-1

Copyright © 2010 Atmos Consulting Ltd The copyright in this work is vested in Atmos Consulting Ltd, and the information contained herein is confidential. This work, either in whole or in part, may not be reproduced or disclosed to others or used for any purposes, other than for internal CUSTOMER evaluation, without Atmos Consulting‟s prior written approval.

West Lewis & South Harris Community Wind Turbine Feasibility Study

A report to

South Harris Community Council Mangurstadh Development Group

Bhaltos Community Trust Cradhlastadh community

South Harris & West Lewis communities

Wind turbine feasibility study

[Atmos report ref: 1611-01/i1] ii Copyright © 2010 Atmos Consulting Ltd

Disclaimer

This report has been prepared by Atmos Consulting Ltd with all reasonable skill and care

within the terms of the agreement with the Client and the time available. We disclaim any

responsibility to any parties in respect of matters outside this scope.

Information supplied by the Client or any other parties and used in this report is assumed to

be correct and Atmos Consulting Ltd accepts no responsibility for inaccuracies in the data

supplied.

Atmos Consulting Ltd accepts no responsibility to third parties who duplicate, use, or disclose

this report in whole or in part. Such third parties rely upon this report at their own risk.

Issue number & date Reason for issue

1, June 2010 Issue to client

Document prepared for

Kathleen MacLennan

Community Energy Scotland

9 James Street

Stornoway

Document prepared by Document approved by

Jimmy Murray Senior Project Manager

Simon Munro Technical Director

Tower Mains Studios 18G Liberton Brae

Edinburgh EH16 6AE

In-Business Centre Stadium Business Park

24 Longman Drive Inverness

IV1 1SU

Unit B2, Durham Dales Centre,

Castle Gardens, Stanhope, County

Durham DL13 2FJ

Mynydd Awel Mold Business Park

Maes Gwern MOLD

CH7 1XN

www.atmosconsulting.com



[Atmos report ref: 1611-01/i1] iii Copyright © 2010 Atmos Consulting Ltd

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 EXECUTIVE SUMMA RY 5

2 INTRODUCTION 6

2.1 Remit 6

2.2 Methodology 6

3 ON SHORE WIND ENERGY 8

3.1 Technology status 8

3.2 Turbines 501 to 1500kW 8 3.3 Turbines 101 to 500kW 9

3.4 Turbines 50 to 100kW 9 3.5 Second hand turbines 10

3.6 Constraints to wind energy development 10 3.7 Wind resource and wind turbine classif ication 11

3.8 Turbulence 12 3.9 Wind measurement 12

4 PLA NNING 13

4.1 Planning policies 13 4.2 Landscape and visual impact 13

4.3 Cultural Heritage 15 4.4 Ecology 15

4.5 Ornithology 15 4.6 Noise 16

4.7 Shadow flicker 17 4.8 Safety 17

4.9 Communication links 17 4.10 Terrestrial television 18

4.11 MoD, radar and aviation 18

5 TECHNICA L CONSIDERA TIONS 19

5.1 Grid connection 19

5.2 Access 19 5.3 Topography and turbulence 21

6 SOUTH HARRIS 22

6.1 Introduction 22 6.2 Site options 22

6.3 Finance 27 6.4 Conclusions 28

6.5 Recommendations 28

7 MA NGURSTA DH 29

7.1 Introduction 29

7.2 NATS 29 7.3 Site options 31

7.4 Finance 32



[Atmos report ref: 1611-01/i1] iv Copyright © 2010 Atmos Consulting Ltd

7.5 Conclusions 33 7.6 Recommendations 33

8 BHALTOS 34

8.1 Introduction 34 8.2 Site options 34

8.3 Finance 37 8.4 Conclusions 37

8.5 Recommendations 38

9 CRADHLASTA DH 39

9.1 Introduction 39

9.2 Site options 39 9.3 Finance 41

9.4 Conclusions 41 9.5 Recommendations 41

10 APPENDIX – TA BLE OF COORDINA TES 43

FIGURES

Figure 1 Search areas

Figure 2 Ecological designations

Figure 3 South Harris constraints

Figure 4 South Harris potential wind turbine locations

Figure 5 West Lewis constraints

Figure 6 West Lewis potential wind turbine locations



[Atmos report ref: 1611-01/i1] 5 Copyright © 2010 Atmos Consulting Ltd

1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Atmos Consulting Limited was engaged by Community Energy Scotland to consider

the outline feasibility of a community owned wind energy generation project in a

number of areas of South Harris and West Lewis, with the aim of generating funds

locally. Atmos conducted desk-based research, consultations and site visits and

survey including in May 2010. This report represents the written report of this work.

Key development factors were considered over the project areas, especially grid

connection, road access, potential problemati c wind flow, and set back from housing.

Constraints were mapped and potential sites selected.

During site visit, sites were visited and discussions held with local representatives, to

assist in refining the sites.

Many options were assessed from a financial basis and all the options for turbines of

300kW and upwards were found to offer potential for very strong financial

performance. The smaller turbine options may well also be viable, but this will be

dependent on the results of wind monitoring, site sur vey and the firming of costs

including construction and insurances.

A range of options are therefore presented to the community groups to take forward.

The three groups in West Lewis are all served from the same local 11000 volt

distribution line. This means that there is effectively competition between projects for

finite local capacity. Consideration should be given to cooperation between groups,

that is to share a single wind turbine on one site, in order to give the greatest overall

benefit and utilisation of the grid capacity.

Further work is required to verify feasibility and take forward the projects and is

described in each section. The key steps to progress are:

Consider sites to take forward in each community

Met mast installation, wind measurement

EIA Screening

Agree detailed scope of submission required with CNES, SNH, SEPA etc

Ecology and Ornithology surveying

Access investigation & site design




2 INTRODUCTION

2.1 Remit

Atmos Consulting Ltd („Atmos‟) was commissioned by Community Energy Scotland “to carry out a feasibility study to determine the most suitable sites for wind turbines to create a revenue for three community groups in Harris and Lewis.” This document

sets out our report of the study.

The groups were:

1. The Mangurstadh Development Group

2. The Bhaltos Community Trust

3. The South Harris Community Council, encompassing three communities –

o The Bays of Harris Association

o The South Harris Renewables Group

o The West Harris Crofting Trust

The objectives of the feasibility study were:

1. Produce a value added judgement of all relevant aspects and possible limitations

and constraints, such as

Road and vehicle access

Planning issues

Land ownership

Geomorphology

Anticipated wind regime

Proximity and capacity of the HV electricity grid

Maximum load areas

Landscape values, wildlife issues, and environmental designations

MOD, HIAL, NATS, HM Coastguard etc.

2. Assess the locational considerations of each identified site such as positioning,

system design, civil engineering and electrical work required for the project. Technical

constraints to be considered include road access, aviation, radio frequency

interference, strobing, geomorphology and planning issues.

3. Determine the environmental issues at each site. This should include initial

discussions with all the relevant stakeholders to determine the effects of landscape

values, visual and wildlife habitat disruption, noise and bird interests. This will allow

for the subsequent preparation of an environmental impact assessment.

4. Produce budget capital costings and analyse the potential income generation from

the sale of renewable energy generated at each site.

5. List and discuss any other information issues considered relevant to the

development of community owned generating systems.

Subsequently an additional area was added to the study for the Cradhlastadh

community with a slightly reduced work scope: to identify the most viable renewable,

identify a project size and location, produce basic costings and indicative income, and

highlight any significant show stoppers.

2.2 Methodology

The method followed to identify the suitability of the proposed areas for wind

development was to identify constraints to development and to define the nature and

extent of each. Geographical constraints were mapped in order to best understand

and interpret these. Specific sites meeting the constraints criteria were then

individually considered and the sites judged to present the optimum balance of

factors were selected based on professional experience.




A site visit was made by Jimmy Murray of Atmos on the 13/14 May 2010 after initial

research and constraints mapping. A meeting was held with each group during the

visit, and attempt made to explain and define options and to understand local

preferences in terms of turbine locations. A further visit is planned to present the

findings to the communities.

Consultations have been made to relevant bodies regarding these sites.




3 ON SHORE WIND ENERGY

3.1 Technology status

Wind power is a commercially mature technology. In April 2010, there were over

2890 turbines operating in the UK, with an installed capacity of around 4500MW1.

Global capacity is increasing rapidly with over 157,000 MW now installed2. Installed

costs are typically £1.1-1.5M per MW in the range 0.8-3MW in the UK, with a link to

exchange rates since turbines form a large part of the installed cost and are generally

priced in Euros.

Turbines being installed or permitted in the UK in 2009-10 ranged from around 0.8 to

3.0MW for commercial onshore projects. Towers are usually from 50 to 80 metres

high, with rotor diameters of around 50 to 90 metres, giving overall ground to blade

tip heights of 75 to 130 metres. We expect the recently introduced Feed In Tariff to

lead to a new interest in smaller turbines in the 0-900kW range.

Potential turbines of use to community projects on Lewis or Harris are listed here by

size category, following the Feed In Tariff banding. In each size category, turbines

are first listed meeting three criteria considered highly desirable, namely: a track

record of supplying that model in the UK, that model still being available for new

projects in the UK, and the model possessing a suitable IEC classification for

deployment in the Western Isles (mean wind speeds above 8.5m/s).

These are not the only relevant criteria; the information is presented as an

introduction to potentially available turbine models, and is not intended to inform a

final choice of turbine model. All of this information is as understood by Atmos but

being market information, cannot be guaranteed to be accurate.

3.2 Turbines 501 to 1500kW

Turbines in the 0.8 to 3 MW range are now well established in use across the UK.

Whilst the mainstream of commercial turbines crept up to around 2MW per turbine

some years ago, there has always remained a market for slightly smaller machines.

They have suited sites with strong wind resource, limited space, height constraints

due to landscape or aviation reasons, or transport difficulties limiting the size of

transported loads.

Of the main potential suppliers, Enercon has shown willing to supply and support

remote single turbine projects, with some changes to their standard guarantees.

Vestas has a large installed base of turbines in Scotland in this bracket, including

some smaller projects. This model was formerly manufactured at Macrahanish in

Kintyre.

Spanish wind turbine manufacturers, Gamesa and Acciona, the 3 rd and 8th largest

wind turbine manufacturers in the world respectively, are represented in the UK with

a smaller presence.

Make Model Capa

city

kW

Hub

height,

metres

Rotor

diameter,

metres

Comment

Models understood to be available in the UK with UK track record and IEC 1 classification

Enercon E44 910 56 48 Many in Scotland: Benbecula,

Tiree, Orkney, etc.

Vestas V52 850 55 52 Many in Scotland incl. variants,

e.g. Argyle and Aberdeenshire

1 http://www.bwea.com/ukwed/index.asp accessed June 2010 2 http://www.gwec.net/index.php?id=30&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=247 accessed June 2010

http://www.bwea.com/ukwed/index.asp

http://www.gwec.net/index.php?id=30&tx_ttnews%5btt_news%5d=247




Gamesa G52 850 55 52 Serious mnfr, 25 in Wales

Acciona AW-1500-70 1500 60 70 18 installed central Scotland

Other models

EWT DW52 900 50 52 Approx. 300 installed, none in

UK, talk of achieving IEC 1

rating, tower production Arnish

GE 1.5se 1500 71 52.6 Unlikely available as single

turbine

Nordex N60 1300 46 60 installed at Grimshader by

Stornoway but no longer in

production

Siemens SWT-1.3-62 1300 45 62 No longer in production


New turbines in the 100 to 500kW range have been almost absent from the UK

market for over a decade. However, Enercon re-engineered and re-launched its E33

turbine some years ago and with the advent of the Feed In Tariff, this can be

considered a serious option. Three E33‟s operate at Ross Island Antarctic base, and,

closer to conditions that may be experienced on the Western Isles, three operate in

the Falkland Islands.

Make Model Capacity

kW

Hub

height,

metres

Rotor

diameter,

metres

Comment


Enercon E33 335 49 33.4 None yet in UK but included here as

serious manufacturer with strong

Scottish and islands presence

Other models

Windflow WF500 500 30 33 IEC Ia pending, 2 bladed

Vergnet GEV-MP 275 55 28 2 bladed „island‟ design, none in

UK, suit „mechanical‟ client


50kW turbines first appeared in large numbers in the early 1980‟s: many will have

seen images of hundreds of such machines whirling in close proximity at the

Altamont Pass, California. A single 50kW turbine ran for many years at Linecleat,

Benbecula before being inundated by the January 2005 storm surge, and

subsequently replaced with a larger 900kW turbine.

Commercial turbine sizes gradually increased such that the market for machines

greater than domestic sized but smaller than commercial sized is relatively small. So

recently, wind turbines of around 50 to 100kW have been a niche market comprising

off-grid sites where output has to be matched to demand, and projects with an

ecological slant.

Given wider interest in climate change issues and economic incentives in the form of

Feed In Tariffs, demand for turbines in this bracket is expected. Current options for a

project on Lewis or Harris include

No turbines meeting the criteria of availability in the UK and suitable IEC listing were

considered to exist as at May 2010. However, the AOC 50kW and the Enercon 100kW

unit could potentially be recommended. Enercon indicated to Simon Munro that final




bringing to production of the E20 model was not currently a priority, Jun 2010. AOC

indicated that have supplied a number of turbines to the UK and gave examples of

models operating in harsh environments however the model was “designed” to IEC

class 2 and is not currently understood to be certified to IEC.

Make Model Capacity

kW

Hub

height,

metres

Rotor

diameter,

metres

Comment


None

Other models

AOC 15/50 50 25 15 Not IEC listed but many operating

in harsh climates & data given up

to AMWS of 11m/s. At least 2 in

Scotland incl. Isle of Luing

Enercon E20 100 20 or

30

20 May become available soon.

„Should‟ be IEC Ia.

3.5 Second hand turbines

A vibrant second hand market exists for wind turbines, with professional brokers

matching sellers and buyers. Many of the early wind farms in Europe, often on some

of the best sites, are 'repowering': exchanging their existing turbines that have

covered their costs, with new larger turbines, to make better use of their site and

increase production. The first community wind farm in Scotland on the isle of Gigha

employed second hand turbines that were, at the time of installation on the island, 12

years old.

However, under the new Feed In Tariff, only new equipment is understood to be

supported. And whilst the turbines themselves will be substantially cheaper than new

machines, other costs including grid connection, substation, site track, turbine

foundations, and turbine delivery and construction costs will be similar. Care has to

be taken in the inspection, selection, down-taking and reinstalling, but these are now

well established procedures.

Issues with the use of second hand machines include the lack of any long

guarantees; older technology; the possibility of spares being harder to secure; the

potential need to reconfigure the wind farm at the end of the life of the second hand

machines depending on what models are available at that time; and an associated

risk of requiring new foundations and planning application etc. For these reasons,

second hand machines have not been considered further in this report.

3.6 Constraints to wind energy development

The location criteria necessary for successful wind energy development can be

considered as a series of constraints: wind resource, terrain, designations, distance to

properties etc.

Successfully developing a wind energy project requires:

sufficient wind resource, without excessive turbulence;

grid connection with sufficient capacity for the proposed project and permission

to connect;

environmental impacts (visual, birds, hydrology, etc.) acceptable to the planning

authorities;

technical impacts acceptable (MoD, CAA, NATS, airports, microwave link

operators, television);




access to allow the components to be delivered and the project built;

rights to use the land on and under the components (turbines, tracks, cables);

and

financial capital.

Many of these issues have been examined in the following sections of this report.

Land rights are not covered by this report but land is a key issue and we recommend

verifying rights are secure to all the land required for turbine, construction, access

and grid connection.

3.7 Wind resource and wind turbine classification

The wind speed required for an economic project depends on the site specific

infrastructure costs, but a minimum average annual wind speed of 6 - 7 metres per

second at hub height can be taken as a sensible starting point. Sites where track and

grid connection infrastructure will form a significant fraction of the overall

construction cost will require a higher wind speed than those sited beside existing

road or track and existing grid lines with capacity.

Wind speed predictions are available through the NOABL database, which contains

estimated wind speeds at 1km resolution for 45m above ground level across the UK.

NOABL output data are useful for „first order‟ resource assessments and initial site

screening. The wind speed data is available for every 1km grid square.

The Carbon Trust wind yield tool provides an alternative source and uses 30 years of

data from the Met Office‟s 200 weather stations.

Experience from other community wind energy projects within the Western Isles has

also been used to inform this assessment.

Wind turbines are classed according to the conditions under which they are designed

to operate. This classification takes into account, amongst other factors, wind speed

and turbulence levels. Tables outlining some of the IEC factors are presented below.

Normal wind

condit ions

Class 1 (I) Class 2 (II) Class 3 (III) Class 4 (IV)

Maximum annual

mean wind speed at

hub height

10m/s 8.5m/s 7.5m/s 6m/s

Extreme wind

condit ions 50 year

return period

maximum gust at hub

height

70m/s 59.5 m/s 52.5 m/s 42 m/s

Table 1 Turbine classificat ion – wind speed

All reasonably exposed potential wind turbine locations on Lewis and Harris are here

considered to be wind Class 1 and so it is recommended that only Class 1 rated

turbines or similar are considered.

Variability will be introduced by site specific conditions such as terrain roughness and

surrounding obstacles which influence wind direction and turbulence. This underlines

the importance of determining the wind resource on a particular site through

accurate measurements of the wind on site, usually for a minimum of 12 months,

followed by correlation with historical datasets. This process allows the most efficient

positioning of turbines and also minimises the investment risk, thereby maximising

the benefit to the owner.




3.8 Turbulence

Some turbulence is always present in wind and all turbines can accommodate this to

an extent. Excessive turbulence is a problem for wind turbines causing increased

stresses, particularly to the blades with different forces being applied along the length

of a single blade. In turn, this can incur increased maintenance costs. Turbine

suppliers typically require wind data showing actual turbulence levels before providing

the usual turbine guarantees. Therefore developing a site possessing excessive

turbulence could lead to having to accept turbines without the usual guarantees,

representing additional cost and risk to the project. Table 2 below sets out the

standard classification used for most commercially available wind turbine models.

Maximum turbulence

intensity at hub height at

a mean wind speed of

15m/s

Class A Class B

18% 16%

Table 2 Turbine classificat ion - turbulence

3.9 Wind measurement

To measure the actual wind resource, detailed on-site wind monitoring will be

required using a tall wind mast, left in place for at least 12 months. Correlation with a

suitable long term dataset will permit accurate assessment of mean wind speed once

the mast has been in place for at least a winter, a technique known as measure-

correlate-predict (MCP).




4 PLANNING

A community wind turbine project on Lewis or Harris will require planning permission

may require supporting information on a variety of topics relevant to the specific

location and scale of wind turbine proposed. Some relevant areas are outlined below.

4.1 Planning policies

Both local and national planning policy is broadly supportive of renewable energy

developments. The key local documents are outlined below.

Western Isles Structure Plan 2003

The introduction describes a key need to “maximise the opportunities for alternative energy production”. The capacity of the electricity interconnector is highlighted as a

problem and there is support for upgrading capacity. Policy ED2 titled Development

of Alternative and Renewable Energy Resources states:

Development proposals for hydro, solar, wave, tidal and wind (on-shore and off-shore) energy schemes and associated infrastructure, including proposals for non-grid, domestic-scale schemes, will be viewed positively, subject to satisfactory assessment of all of the following:

i) the impact on local communities and any other existing or proposed land uses and interests;

ii) the impact, including cumulative impact, on natural and built heritage resources;

iii) the local and wider benefits that the proposal may bring;

iv) the adequacy of reinstatement arrangements;

v) the requirements of other Structure Plan policies.

Western Isles Local Plan 2008

This includes policy ED14LP/ED3 Safeguarding Renewable Energy Resources

“Development proposals adjacent to sites with planning consent for renewable energy development will be considered carefully in order to safeguard the viability of

the energy resource.”

Outer Hebrides Local Development Plan (Main Issues Report & LDP Scheme

First Review Feb 2010)

A new planning framework is gradually being brought in that will replace the Local

Plan and Structure Plan described above. A Main Issues Report has been prepared

recognising a need to:

Address population loss and demographic imbalance

Enable growth and regeneration to counter the loss of employment

Maintain viability and sustain strong thriving communities

There is little in the MIR directly relevant to single turbine wind energy proposals,

however the first draft of the new LDP will occur in 2010 and will contain more

specific policies. The final Local Development Plan is scheduled for adoption as policy

by Feb 2012. Even before it is finally adopted, this document may be a material

consideration as it moves towards its final version.

4.2 Landscape and visual impact

Wind turbines tend to be sited on high ground to increase their effectiveness and so

can be highly visible. The visual impact of wind turbine projects is subjective, but




there is general agreement that minimising visual impact whilst maximising turbine

output is beneficial.

All of the areas of search for this project lie within the South Lewis, Harris and North

Uist National Scenic Area. The citation for the areas is relevant to consideration of

proposals within it:

SOUTH LEWIS, HARRIS AND NORTH UIST NATIONAL SCENIC AREA

EXTENT OF AREA

This extensive area stretches from Valtos in the north to Loch Eport in the south, and

covers the mountainous parts of south west Lewis, all of Harris, the Sound of Harris

and the northern part of North Uist which forms a backdrop to the sound and its

islands.

DESCRIPTION

There is a striking contrast between the subdued topography of most of Lewis and

the bold rugged hills of South Lewis and Harris which, viewed from the north, rise

abruptly out of an expanse of blanket bog. Around the rugged hills, there are a

number of different contrasting lowland and coastal landscapes. These have been

identified as knock-and-lochan, rocky indented coast, and wide sandy machair

beaches contained between rocky headlands. Each type has elements of its own

which combine to produce landscapes with a variety of form, colour and grain, which

are further diversified by changes of scale and aspect.

North Harris has the highest peaks in the Outer Hebrides. On a clear day views from

Clisham (799m) span from Cape Wrath to the Cuillins and St Kilda. The glens are

steep-sided and precipitous crags which, despite their relatively low altitude, give to

the hills a mountainous character that compares favourably with better known

mainland massifs. Exposure and grazing prevent tree growth, and the scenic quality

depends on landform and intervisibility with surrounding landscapes, these doing

much to enhance the significance of the mountains. In the east deep fjords, like Loch

Seaforth, penetrate the hills, with the surprising presence of tidal water apparently

far inland. The east coast of Harris is deeply dissected knock-and-lochan topography,

with innumerable bays and islets, where the pattern of crofting settlement enjoys a

particularly close relationship with the landform. It is a small scale landscape of

detailed variety and visual pleasure that contrasts strongly with the softer, wider

landscapes of the island‟s west coast.

The west coast is comprised of wide sandy machair-backed beaches, the bright clear

colours of which lighten the dark greys and browns of inland hills and moors. These

superb beaches are further enhanced by views across the vividly coloured inshore

waters to islands and the North Harris mountains, which add not only visual interest

but scale and enclosure. The rocky headlands that separate the bays have been

sculptured by the ocean with geos and stacks. The scatter of islands in the Sound of

Harris acts as a visual link between South Harris and North Uist, as well as creating a

seascape of scenic beauty. The wide sandy strands of North Uist reflect much of the

character of the west coast of South Harris, and similarly afford views across the sea

to the mountains of North Harris. Loch Maddy and Loch Eport are indented sea lochs

penetrating areas of low hummocky relief, containing much exposed rock and many

fresh water lochans. Points within the area afford north across the Sound of Harris,

and only at the ridge of Marrival does this very diverse island scenery change.

Based on an extract from “Scotland‟s Scenic Heritage” The Countryside Commission

for Scotland 1978




The assessment of landscape and visual impacts for a wind farm follows a

prescriptive process set out in guidance produced by Scottish Natural Heritage, the

Landscape Institute, the Countryside Agency and other organisations. The scope of

work will seek to establish the full extent of the landscape and visual effects arising

from the proposed wind farm development and identify their potential significance.

Landscape effects relate to the effects of the proposals on the physical and other

characteristics of the landscape and its resulting character and quality whereas visual

effects relate to the effects on views experienced by visual receptors (such as

residents, footpath users, tourists etc) and on the visual amenity experienced by

these people. The significance of the effect that the windfarm will have on the

landscape and visual resources of the area will vary according to the magnitude of

the effect and the sensitivity of the receptor.

Typically, a formal assessment would start with a Zone of Theoretical Visibility (ZTV)

to show those places where at least parts of turbines may be visible, then look at

wireframes to show relation and scale from a variety of positions, and viewpoints

from an agreed list of places to show examples of the visual impact at each place,

then a detailed assessment by a landscape architect cataloguing and rating the

impact.

Consideration of landscape and visual impacts for a range of types of people that

may see the turbine (e.g. residents and tourists), the setting of archaeological sites,

transport routes and designated sites will be required.

We understand that the Monan Wind Farm on North Harris was the first significant

wind energy development within an NSA, though there are other proposals. Given the

scale of the potential community developments in South Harris or West Lewis, we

consider that the presence of the NSA will lead to a higher than normal threshold for

assessment of landscape issues, but that with consideration to siting, such proposals

should be acceptable.

4.3 Cultural Heritage

Wind turbine projects typically require to assess impacts on cultural heritage. The

archaeological and cultural heritage resource is made up of a number of elements

including Scheduled Monuments, listed buildings and unscheduled features. Wind

farm developments can affect these resources both directly through the physical

impact of construction and indirectly through introducing change to the setting of

cultural heritage features. The potential effects of wind turbines must therefore be

considered at wider distances than just within the site area itself.

The archaeological service of CNES should be consulted to provide pre application

advice. Historic Scotland, an agency within the Scottish Government directly

responsible to Scottish Ministers for the protection and promotion of the historic

environment, can also assist or give comments.

4.4 Ecology

Wind turbine installations have the potential to cause impact on various animals a nd

habitats during construction, including otters. An extended phase 1 habitat survey

should be carried out for the chosen turbine site, including or followed up with otter

survey as indicated. Such issues should be straightforward to manage and this should

not be a significant consenting issue.

4.5 Ornithology

Ornithological interests are protected in the UK through a number of international,

national and local designations which provide a focus for conservation of bird species.

A number of species are also individually protected through conservation legislation.




Birds can be sensitive to wind farm developments directly, through habitat loss and

collision risk and indirectly, through disturbance and displacement from preferred

habitats.

Given the relatively small scale of the potential developments, significant collision risk

impacts are most unlikely and the main potential impact is to breeding birds during

construction.

Careful consideration should be given to the survey requirements of the chosen site,

however at this stage we consider that a breeding bird survey, carried out over

several months in the Spring season, is likely to be suitable.

4.6 Noise

Wind turbines are generally not noisy machines. It is possible to stand underneath a

turbine and hold a conversation without having to raise your voice. As wind speed

rises, the noise of the wind can mask the noise made by wind turbines.

Descriptively, the sound consists of a swishing noise as the blades pass the tower,

and a mechanical spinning noise from the generator/gearbox muffled to almost

inaudible levels in modern machines by being inside the housing, nacelle, at the top

of the tower.

This table is included in the relevant Scottish Planning Advice Note :

Source / Activity Indicat ive noise level dB(A)

Threshold of pain 140

Jet aircraft at 250m 105

Pneumatic drill at 7m 95

Truck at 30mph at 100m 65

Busy general office 60

Car at 40mph at 100m 55

Wind farm at 350m 35-45

Quiet bedroom 35

Rural night-time background 20-40

Threshold of hearing 0

In the UK, a standard known as ETSU-R-97 is almost universally used to assess wind

farm noise in relation to surrounding housing. The standard relates existing

background noise levels to predicted levels of noise from the turbines. The amount of

noise emitted from modern large wind turbines is very well known, supported by

manufacturers‟ guarantees and independent verification.

Noise from the wind farm should be limited to 5dB(A) above background for both day- and night-time, remembering that the background level of each period may be different. A fixed limit of 43dB(A) is recommended for night-time. This is based on a sleep disturbance criteria of 35dB(A) with an allowance of 10dB(A) for attenuation through an open window (free field to internal) and 2dB(A) subtracted to account for the use of LA 90,10min rather than LA eq, 10min.




Noise monitoring locations would be chosen in collaboration with the Council

Environmental Health Officer. This is likely to focus on the closest properties, but may

exclude any definitely financially involved.

Noise monitoring equipment (microphone and data logger) in situ

4.7 Shadow flicker

Shadow flicker is an effect caused the shadow of turbine blades in direct sunshine

being cast through the window of a room where most of the light in the room is

coming from that window. As the shadow created by the moving blades passes over

a window the effect can be as if the light is being repeatedly turned on and off.

For a given turbine arrangement, this effect can be accurately predicted, to give the

total number of hours in any year and additionally the dates and times at which this

could occur. It is generally considered that beyond 10 rotor diameters shadow flicker

is not a significant issue3.

Final shadow flicker will depend on the final turbine size and position. It is not

expected to be a significant issue for a community turbine on Lewis/ Harris.

4.8 Safety

The wind energy industry has an enviable record of engineering excellence and safety

in use. In over 25 years and with more than 70,000 machines installed around the

world no member of the public has ever been harmed by the normal operation of

wind turbines [source BWEA]. However wind turbines combining tall towers, heavy

rotating machinery and electricity remain a potential hazard and risks should be

carefully managed.

4.9 Communication links

Microwave communication links are used to transmit information between fixed

points. Wind turbines could disrupt data flow if placed between transmitter and

3 Planning Advice Note (PAN) 45 (revised 2002), Renewable Energy Technologies. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2002/02/pan45/pan-45

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2002/02/pan45/pan-45




receiver. However the beam widths are narrow, and so long as turbines are displaced

from the microwave dishes at either end, and out of the immediate microwave

corridor, then there is no effect.

Ofcom, who license microwave and radio transmissions in the UK, were consulted

over the potential turbine sites and it has become apparent that two operators have

links within the area.

4.10 Terrestrial television

In a similar fashion to microwaves, broadcast terrestrial television reception can be

affected if any obstacle, including a wind turbine, is placed between the TV

transmitter and the receiving television aerial.

Atmos does not expect this to be a major issue for Lewis or Harris community wind

turbines.

Were loss of reception quality to be experienced, upgrade to satellite reception

provides the usual solution at relatively low cost. It is a standard condition of

planning permission that the developer agrees to resolve any television reception

problems caused by the wind farm at their own cost.

4.11 MoD, radar and aviation

The MoD is an important consultee for wind turbine projects and has objected to

many projects, preventing development, when it considers that any of a range of

interests, including military radar and low flying may be affected.

The MoD operates an air defence radar on North Uist. Air defence radar has been the

cause of many wind farm MoD objections and the MoD has objected to wind energy

projects within the Western Isles due to this radar. However in the case of these sites

and projects, our the initial view is that MoD issues will not constrain development.

The MoD operates a standard consultation procedure for wind farms, and we

recommend following this process once specific sites have been selected to move

forward with.

A radar system is operated by NATS En Route Ltd from just outside Stornoway.

Weather radar is also operated from the Point peninsula east of Stornoway (and

safeguarded by the MoD). Atmos considers there is no potential for impact on these

systems from the community projects under consideration.

The closest airfield to the potential sites is at Stornoway, a distance of over 30km.

Atmos considers there is no potential for impact in this case.




5 TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS

5.1 Grid connection

A wind turbine project requires a connection agreement with the local Distribution

Network Operator, Scottish and Southern Energy, to operate. To achieve this, a

connection application must be made. If a distribution connection will have an impact

on the transmission system then National Grid will be involved to determine the

nature of the impact.

Lewis and Harris are connected to the rest of the UK grid by a single circuit cable

running between Harris and Skye at 33000 volts. The capacity of this cable is

currently limited to a little over 20 megawatts. On Skye, the voltage is transformed

up to 132000 volts, giving a single circuit with a higher capacity of around 100MW for

the overhead line to a point near Fort Augustus. Due to a number of renewable

generation projects on Skye and on the Western Isles, capacity on the cable across

the Minch and on the line through Skye has all been allocated to other projects.

Even though a project might be of relatively small scale, e.g. less than existing

electricity demand, any additional generation will effectively add to power exported

from the Western Isles at certain times (e.g. windy periods in summer), once

projects with contracted agreements not yet built are included. This means that for a

community project on South Harris or West Lewis, as well as capacity on the local

electricity lines, some capacity on the transmission network is also likely to be

required.

Grid connection rules and arrangements have been through a number of revisions

and groups should monitor these carefully as a project progresses. In particular, a

major new interconnector from Lewis to the mainland is planned that will greatly

assist connection capacity in the Western Isles. The timing of this work may affect

the potential for development of community wind projects in Harris and Lewis.

Stocanais substation

5.2 Access

Establishing a community wind energy scheme requires transporting large and heavy

loads to the site. Access is judged to be a significant consideration for some potential

sites and should be de-risked as the project progresses.

Consideration of the actual loads to be transported is crucial to planning the access

arrangements.




The following table gives the size and weights of the major items requiring transport

for an example 900kW turbine with a 55m tower to give an idea of the range of

components. Key parameters are highlighted in bold.

Item Number Length,

metres

Width,

metres

Height,

metres

Weight,

tonnes

Blade 3 20 2 3 3

Tower

section

3 18 3 3 31

Generator 1 8 2.5 2.5 16

Crane 1 15.5 2.7 4 60

Table: Illustrative delivery loads for an 900kW turbine

Blades will be the longest loads. However, blades are relatively light and can be

mounted high to minimise road vertical alignment issues (humps).

Turbine tower sections are heavy, wide loads, with the length dependant on the

tower height and the number of steel sections the tower is divided into. Tower

sections require to be mounted low above the ground to prevent maximum height

constraints imposed by overhead power lines crossing roads. This means that

transport of tower section loads requires careful checking of road vertical alignments.

Finally, the mobile cranes needed to lift the turbine components into place are

extremely heavy, e.g. 60 to 100 tonnes, though generally around the size of a

standard Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV). These cranes have many, e.g. 6, axles to

reduce the load imposed by each axle, facilitating transport over bridges. Use of

heavy cranes will require investigation of bridge weight limits.

The largest turbine that can be transported within standard HGV dimensions is

around 225kW. The 225kW turbines used on Gigha and more recently at Findhorn,

have 13/14m blades and 30m towers comprising three 10m sections.

Turbine components being delivered by sea




Wind turbine blade being transported overland

5.3 Topography and turbulence

The topography of South Harris and West Lewis is largely of steep rugged hills

separated by deep gouged glens and sea lochs. This means that whilst the wind

energy resource is plentiful, it will at times contain a degree of turbulence that would

not exist in a smoother landform. Turbulence is the short term variation in wind flow

and is present in all wind. Excessive turbulence is a particular problem for wind

energy projects, placing strain particularly on rotor blades, reducing service life and

increasing maintenance. For this reason, turbine manufacturers generally place

operating limits in terms of turbulence intensity. If a site were to be progressed and

found not to meet these criteria, then it may be difficult to obtain the standard wind

turbine warranties and so in turn difficult to secure the usual bank loan finance.

For these reasons, it is important to select a location for a community wind turbine

that is an exposed as possible, not below terrain in the prevailing wind directions.

Ideally, sites should not be close to any steep slopes. However, this criteria is over

stringent as it would rule out almost all of South Harris and West Lewis: wind

turbines are operated successfully in very many locations close to steep slopes

without undue difficulties.




6 SOUTH HARRIS

6.1 Introduction

The landscape of South Harris is rough and steep with significant terrain. This means

that whilst the wind resource is high, there is also significant potential for problematic

turbulence (see above for discussion of turbulence). Existing infrastructure follows

the coast and valley bottoms. For a single turbine project, it will not be viable to site

a turbine on the highest ground and landscape considerations would also likely

preclude this. So successful sites must balance proximity to existing infrastructure

(roads, tracks and power lines) with exposure to suitable wind resource.

The landscape of Harris was designated one of the National Scenic Areas of Scotland

in the 1970‟s and so the landscape impact of a wind turbine will be an issue requiring

special attention.

South Harris electricity infrastructure

On South Harris, a 33kV subsea cable from north Skye landfalls at Beacrabhaic and

then runs overhead to a point around 1.5km north east from the head of Loch

Stocanais known as the Stocanais substation. At this substation below the A859 road,

the voltage is transformed up to 132kV, feeding a single overhead line to Stornoway.

A 33kV overhead line also needs north from Stocanais to Stornoway, serving Tarbert

and other centres on the way. Electricity is also transformed down from the 33kV to

the 11kV network at Stocanais and from there feeds all of South Harris. Three phase

11kV overhead lines head from Stocanais: north to Tarbert, north west to the west

side of South Harris, and south west round the east side of South Harris.

A community wind turbine on South Harris would connect to the electricity system at

either 11kV or 33kV, with 11kV being preferable in cost terms for a turbine of under

1MW. The generation capacity able to be connected to the existing 11kV network will

gradually reduce with distance from Stocanais. We consider that a wind turbine of

900kW would be able, in terms of local grid capacity, be able to connect within

around 4km of Stocanais. A turbine of around 330kW should be able to connect up to

around 12km away. An individual grid connection assessment is required in all cases

to verify connection is feasible.

The 33kV overhead lines on South Harris all have 11kV lines running nearby, so

connection to the 33kV system does not offer much advantage to a community wind

project of a single wind turbine of under 1MW. The sole exception would be close to

Beacrabhaic where the 33kV system would have more local capacity to support a

wind turbine of just under 1MW than the 11kV system due to the distance from

Stocanais. The area immediately around Beacrabhaic was not considered particularly

suitable for a wind turbine of over 500kW, and so a 33kV connection was not

considered further for this study.

6.2 Site options

Often, mapping fixed constraints such as housing, electricity lines and so on serves to

define the extent of available land for a wind turbine development. In the case of

South Harris, see Figure 3, this leaves extensive areas as “Less constrained land” and

so is only the first stage of the site identification process.

Other considerations highly relevant to the location of a wind energy development in

South Harris are:

Landscape

Turbulence

Wind resource




Local feeling

Watercourses and areas of standing water would also be avoided, and transport of

large turbine components needs to be viable along the public roads leading to a site.

Taking all factors together, a range of potential project opportunities has been

identified covering different areas and potential wind turbine sizes. Sites are

described roughly from north to south.

Miabhaig road end

This site is presented as the first relatively exposed location situated in the road/ grid

corridor, travelling south from Tarbert. The potential site would be north east of the

junction in order to maximise exposure and minimise the potential for turbulence.

The ground height is around 80 metres, a full 220 metres below a SE top of Uabhal

Mor only 1.5km to the SE, and 380 metres below the mass of Ceann Reamhar only

3.3km to the NE. We therefore consider this site to be at high risk of problematic

turbulence in wind directions from south west to north west, common directions.

(West of) Loch nan Uidhe

The next potential location lies east of the A859 road near the minor road turn off to

Greosabhagh at an altitude of around 106 metres. We consider this location more

exposed than Miabhaig but problematic winds could still occur over a sector of

around 70 degrees width around west to north west. A tall wind turbine hub height

(e.g. 65 metres) might assist in this respect, but this may clash with landscape

considerations.

Grosa Cleit

The A859 road reaches its highest point south of Tarbert as it passes over the long

ridge below Uabhal Beag and the road also changes direction from broadly south to

north west at this point. The next location identified is just south of the road on this

broad ridge, close to the main electricity substation for the island. At 170 to 180

metres altitude, this location is the highest of those presented, and much more

exposed than the previous ones

A house, understood to be Groscleit House, and church, the Scottish Episcopal

Church, are sited on the old road, near the A859 and form the closest buildings to

the potential turbine location. The community should liaise with these interes ts if this

site is progressed.

The closest spot that might be considered would be east of the big lochan that has a

long finger peninsula, NE from the summit triangulation point, around 320 metres

from house. Otherwise, the turbine could go on the eastern of the Grosa Cleit

summits, around 75 metres south east of the trig point, or further east again on the

rough broad flat area around 200m square above the 170m contour. A track route is

likely to be viable leaving the A859 e.g. at the church entrance, then looping west

and south following generally rocky ground. Track length would be around 350 to

600 metres depending on final turbine position. Detailed site survey is required to

identify the optimum turbine and track position.

We do not expect turbulence to be a problem at this location, however steep terrain

is present, including the steep sides of Grosa Cleit itself, so a well instrumented tall

(50m) mast is recommended early in the project programme to verify this initial

assessment.

A turbine at Grosa Cleit would be a highly visible from the surrounding few miles of

road and hills. However, a turbine would be a single large slender mad made object

within a landscape of much larger scale, and would be close to and associated with




the existing build development of roads, electricity lines, substation and mobile phone

masts.

A 900kW turbine has be assumed for the financial assessment, however both a

smaller (e.g. 300kW) and larger (e.g. 2MW) turbine would also be likely to be viable

on this site.

Quarry

One further location was identified in the vicinity of the road corridor passing through

the central hills of South Harris, at the quarry on the old road that takes the south

side of Glen Lacasdail. A turbine could go close to existing development, by an

existing quarry track that rises steeply south from the old road, to a ground elevation

of around 110 metres. This location is somewhat overshadowed by the east face of

Stocleit an Ear, 70 to 80 metres higher and only 500 metres away to the west, and

also by the larger mass of Uabhal Mor some 240 metres higher and around 2km to

the north. This location is only 10-15 metres above the valley floor in an area of

jutting relief and so is considered not ideal for wind energy production.

An alternative site would be slightly higher at around 130 metres altitude, by

extending the existing track a little further south onto the highest ground east of

Loch a‟Chait. This gives a more elevation, greater distance from the steep higher

ground of Stoicleit an Ear, greater exposure to winds from the west to south, and

greater separation from Uabhal Mor to the north. This is considered to be a viable

location though again in this mountainous environment, early verification through

wind measurement with a high anemometer mast is recommended.

Visually, a turbine at this location above the quarry workings would be a significant

new feature visible in upper Glen Lacasdail where the quarry is already a significant

feature, b would not be likely to be visible from the A859 past the watershed at

Grosa Cleit. From the south, the turbine would be visible from the communities

around Loch Stocanais

Again a 900kW turbine has be assumed for the financial assessment, however a

smaller (e.g. 300kW) would also be likely to be viable on this site. A larger turbine

could be considered subject to favourable wind data but the topography suggests a

higher hub height (e.g. 80 metres) for a longer blade length, potentially giving a

greater visual impact.




Seilebost

An area of high ground lies immediately above the coast road a little west of

Seilebost, and east of Horgabost, forming a potential wind turbine location. A detailed

site survey would be required to identify an optimum site and design the track and

grid connection taking account of the nearest houses and construction access

requirements. An initial location was chosen at an altitude of around 80 metres,

approximately midway between the nearest houses, a little west of the highest point.

This location is quite close to existing electricity lines, and is close to the A859 road,

though given the height difference, a new track would require to be constructed up

the steep slope. Options for the track routing would include from Seilebost, from

above the east end of Traigh Niosaboist, or winding up the steep slope from the

north. Of these, the slope from Horgabost seems the most amenable, but land

availability checks and survey are required before this can be firmed up.

The option would remain to locate the turbine slightly further south (e.g. 50 to 150

metres) to give less prominence from the north.

This location appears to be on enclosed land – Atmos has not checked the crofting or

ownership status.

Aird Niosaboist

A potential turbine location lies on the hill between Traigh Iar and Traigh Niosaboist,

around 600 metres from the A859 road. The landform is gently sloping, open to the

Atlantic to the west, and sufficiently set back from the higher hills to the south and

east, not to give undue cause for concern. Set above the surrounding water on by

50-60 metres, wind resource should be excellent. A turbine could be sited anywhere

on the broad top – a site around 50 metres east of the summit is assumed here.

A standing stone, Clach Mhic Leoid, lies around 150 metres west of the hill summit,

and is a Scheduled Monument (the area, scheduled in 1992, extends to a radius of 10

metres around the stone). An enclosure is also recorded in the National Monuments

Record of Scotland on the summit, being “60 yards in diameter, formed by a bank

and ditch. The bank measures c. 8ft wide and c.4ft above the ditch”. The description

goes on “Further bank and ditch enclosures are located adjacent to the circular one”

and “the enclosures were probably used for agriculture, and are arranged around the

summit of Aird Nisabost.” Given the unscheduled remains around this site, detailed

archaeological survey and assessment would be essential, will limit the freedom to

locate a turbine, and could be a critical consenting issue for this site, however it is

noted that there is a good existing track much of the way up.

A turbine in this location would limit visual impact to a portion of the west side of

Harris.

Given the distance from the primary substation, wind turbine size would be limited to

around 330kW.

Cleit Niosaboist

Around 1km to the south rises the steep craggy hill of Cleit Niosaboist, around 158

metres high, presenting another potential wind turbine location. Wind resource would

be very strong, there would be no problem with wind shadowing from higher ground,

however the hill is steep on all sides giving some risk of difficult conditions for a wind

turbine.

A turbine here would be within 700 metres of the road, however the steep gradient

means that a much longer access track, e.g. 1.2 to 1.6km would likely be required to

permit access by construction delivery vehicles.




A large number of (unscheduled) Sites and Monuments Records are shown for the

eastern slope of the hill and so it is initially assumed that any access track would

need to avoid that area.

A turbine of 330kW is assumed for this site.

Druim Sgarasta

Another location identified would be for a smaller turbine of up to 200 kW on the

shoulder of Druim Sgarasta. above the Harris golf course. The terrain is gentle here,

with open exposure to the Atlantic. There will be some wind shadowing from the

south east, and there are some steep slopes to the south, but these issues are

considered manageable.

A distance of around 260 metres from the existing house has been initially taken here

as this appears to present a relatively exposed point on the ridge, sufficiently far from

the nearest houses for a turbine of this size, but greater set back could be achieved

moving further south east up the ridge, slightly increasing the electrical connection

cost.

Given current wind turbine availability, a capacity of 50kW has been assumed. At this

size, a permanent access track is not essential as construction can be completed

without a large crane using a lattice tower and winch. Turbines in this size bracket

are less mainstream and would perhaps best suit a client with access to a certain

amount of mechanical and electrical experience. A contract with the manufacturer for

all maintenance, common for large turbines, is unlikely to be available.

Visual impact would be generally limited to a few kilometres of the west coast and

the scale would be such that the turbine would be a relatively small feature in the

land and seascape.

Liceasto

A final location is presented on the east side of Harris, near the water works above

Geocrab. There is over a kilometre between the houses of Liceasto and those of

Geocrab, with road and power lines running between, offering the potential of a

location near to existing infrastructure whilst sufficiently far from dwellings. The road

achieves a spot height of 58 metres making this a relatively elevated location.

Siting a turbine adjacent to the water works itself was considered but discounted due

to proximity the existing overhead lines, and to a greater risk of shadowing and

turbulence from the nearby craggy hill of Cnoc Geumasgairbhe.

So, the potential turbine location would be on the opposite side of the road from the

water works, between the road and Loch Stocinis. A new track would be formed from

directly opposite the water works track, and climbing east for about 200 metres to a

height of around 80 metres. There would be some reduction in resource in north-

westerlies flowing over the higher hills but we would not expect this to be a problem.

Given the existing road from the A859, it is likely that a turbine of around 330kW

would be the maximum size that could be installed here. An access survey would be

required to verify both the horizontal alignment (bends) and vertical alignment (dips

and crests). The longest component would be blades at around 15m in transport

length, though the rear portion may oversail the rear of the delivery vehicle, and with

tower sections of 12 metres length. The road, whilst offering some challenge, is

much improved and should permit turbines of this size. Minor upgrading to the road,

e.g. removing outcropping rock from certain inside bends or smoothing crests, should

be feasible funded from the project‟s construction cost, however liaison with the

Council will clearly be necessary.




It is possible that with careful route survey, targeted upgrading work (e.g. slight

widening at the bridge entry and exit at Ob Lickisto, a larger turbine of 900kW could

be successfully employed. Electrical connection-wise, a larger 1MW or 2MW turbine

could be considered.

Visually, most of the impact from a turbine here would be contained within the area

around Loch Stocinis. It would be visible briefly (est. Less than 1 mile) from the main

A859 road at a distance of a little over 3km. The rough nature of the landform means

that views would often be broken by intervening ground, rather than there being

large areas of unbroken visibility.

MoD

Potential constraint due to the MoD radar on North Uist was considered. This is

considered a relatively mild constraint for single wind turbine developments of this

scale. Of the sites considered, only the 3 sites at Niosaboist and Druim Sgarasta have

potential visibility to the radar. We would not expect MoD objection.

6.3 Finance

Example wind turbine models have been used for each site for the purposes of this

report, however note that we recommend further consideration and due diligence

before selecting a final turbine model.

Project capital funding levels have been estimated for each project. South Harris

Community Council (or the involved groups of the Bays of Harris Association, South

Harris Renewables Group and the West Harris Crofting Trust) should do more

detailed financial assessment including discussions with funders, once a preferred

project is selected to take forward.

Site name Turbine Nearest

house,

metres

Mean

hub

height

wind

speed

m/s

Real

world

output

MWh/yr

CapEx

£k

Rate of

return

Simple

pay-

back

years

Miabhaig

road end*

E44 400 9 2640 1180 68% 4.0

Loch nan

Uidhe*

E44 1100 9.1 2720 1170 72% 3.8

Grosa Cleit E44 320-400 9.8 3110 1230 84% 3.5

Quarry E44 1400 9.4 2950 1210 79% 3.6

Seilebost E33 400 9.5 1340 750 117% 2.8

Aird

Niosaboist

E33 700 10 1440 760 128% 2.6

Cleit

Niosaboist*

E33 600 10.2 1460 800 122% 2.7

Druim

Sgarasta

AOC15

/50

260-400 8.6 168 225 12% 6.5

Liceasto E33 500 8.5 1205 720 104% 3.0

Summary of South Harris sites




*Those sites presented in grey are shown for information but are not recommended

due to potential turbulence/ access issues.

6.4 Conclusions

A location for development of a single community wind turbine in South Harris is

limited, for viability and grid connection reasons, to areas close to the existing road

and power lines. The further the distance from the Stocanais substation, the lesser

will be the grid connection capacity. In practice, this limits development to within

around a mile of the A859 road, or else of the road from Stocanais to Liceasto.

Despite the impressive wind resource, the rugged nature of the South Harris

landscape makes the avoidance of problematic turbulence a real issue for a single

turbine project tied to the valley infrastructure.

A range of sites has been evaluated covering different turbine sizes and different

areas of the island, with a focus on those sites considered most likely to offer

practical consentable projects of benefit to the community.

Five sites are presented offering excellent potential returns, using commercially viable

wind turbines in the 330 to 900kW range: 2 sites near the road in the central

mountain area best suiting wind turbines of around 900kW, two sites on the west

coast potentially suitable for turbines of 330kW (one with potentially significant

archaeology issues), and one near Loch Stocinis where a 330 or possibly larger

turbine could be sited.

A site for development of a smaller, 50kW turbine is presented for comparison. Such

a turbine would offer a lower return, and may not enjoy the same degree of

guarantee protection offered by larger turbines, potentially making funding more

difficult.

All of South Harris lies within a National Scenic Area and this will be a key factor in

the consideration of the project. We consider that any of these sites, developed

alone, would not significantly affect the unique character of the landscape. The

individual sites differ in their areas of visual impact and this factor should be

considered carefully in choosing a site to progress.

6.5 Recommendations

The Bays of Harris Association, The South Harris Renewables Group and The West

Harris Crofting Trust should consider the options presented and select a preferred

site to progress. The next steps should then be to seek funding for and complete the

following next steps:

Install suitable wind monitoring mast

Seek Screening opinion from CNES

Agree with CNES, SNH and SEPA, the work required to support a detailed

planning application, e.g. noise assessment, breeding bird survey, radio

assessment, landscape and visual impact assessment, site archaeological

survey

Consider having surveys cover both potential sites, given the small extra cost

likely, in order to reduce the risk of a single constraint e.g. due to an

ornithological issue, affecting the whole project

Survey & design of access track and detailed turbine location




7 MANGURSTADH

7.1 Introduction

The electricity supply to Mangurstadh is via a three phase (3 wire) 11kV overhead

circuit from Giosla Primary Substation, a line length distance of around 20km to the

closest areas. At this distance, for single turbine projects, upgrade of the grid lines is

not considered viable, and so the potential for new generation is likely to be limited

to around 200kW. Given the potentially available wind turbine models, and the desire

of the Bhaltos and Cradhlastadh communities to also connect generation to this same

line, a turbine size of 50-100kW is considered for Mangurstadh. Turbines of this size

would have a tower height of around 20 to 30 metres and an overall height to

highest blade tip of around 30 to 40 metres. A buffer distance of around 50 metres

should be allowed between a turbine and the public road or an overhead electricity

line. We recommend maintaining 250 metres between a turbine of this scale and a

dwelling though shorter distances have been accepted elsewhere.

The search area identified by the community at Mangurstadh consists of two

separate areas: around 5km2 south of the village, and a smaller area of around

2.5km2 on the headland north of the village.

The south area runs from sea level up to the high ridge of Mula Mac Sgiathain at

around 500 metres. Three phase electricity (three wire) is not present in this area

requiring upgrading of the existing single phase supply (two wire) for any significant

wind energy generation. Were a project to be pursued in this south area, then the

most promising site would be close to the road, north of Loch Sanndabhat, e.g.

around NGR NB 0185 3095. Since sites are available with adjacent 3 phase electricity

in the north, this site is not considered further. The southern and high ground part of

this area is considered too remote to be viable for the likely project sizes under

consideration of a single wind turbine of around 100kW. Terrain steepness and

turbulence would also be potential serious problems close to and on the high ground.

The north area comprises two areas of high ground around 50 to 90 metres above

sea level separated by the valley of Glen Skebadale. Whilst rocky, the terrain is fairly

flat apart from the abrupt drop into the Atlantic to the west. With a good set back

from the cliff edge, this area is eminently suitable for a wind turbine.

7.2 NATS

Two sites operated by NATS lie within the West Lewis area: a VHF/UHF receiver on

the hill summit of Forsnabhal, and a VHF/UHR transmitter on the rocky headland at

Mangurstadh. The purpose of these installations is principally to allow air traffic

controllers, for example based at the air traffic control centre at Prestwick, to

communicate with aircraft on transatlantic routes. Due to reflections from the tower

or modulation due to the rotating blades, there is some potential for impact on radio

operations from wind turbines sited close to radio transmitters or receivers. Impact is

generally considered to be a minor issue and Atmos considers that it will be possible

to identify a site for a community wind turbine that is acceptable to NATS.

There are a number of publications that set out the recommended set back

distances. NATS request that planning authorities consult NATS for wind turbine

planning applications within 10km of their radio communications masts. All sites

considered within West Lewis in the identified search areas lie within 10km of the

Forsnabhal receiver.

Document CAP670 Air Traffic Services Safety Requirements published by the CAA

recommends “frame sizes” to apply in the absence of specific information on the

equipment deployed. Atmos considers that given the air safety role of the CAA, such

buffers have been set conservatively. The dimensions set out for VHF/ UHF




transmitters and receivers are a circle of 91 metres radius centred on the base of the

tower, along with a conical surface beginning 9 metres above ground level at the

centre of the tower and rising outwards at a 2% slope in an inverted cone shape out

to a radius of 610 metres by which point the height is around 20 metres above

ground level at the tower. All potential community wind turbine sites considered on

West Lewis would be clear following the CAP670 distances since all are over 610

metres from the NATS equipment.

A document entitled “The Provision of Guidelines for the Installation of Wind Turbines

Near Aeronautical Radio Stations”, CAA Paper 99002 published in 1999 by the CAA

SRG mentions a wider 2km radius and proposes additional assessment. Atmos

considers that for feasibility purposes, wind turbine options meeting CAP670 and in

addition not lying on a direct path between the antennae and potential aircraft being

communicated with, is likely to be acceptable to NATS. We suggest therefore that

turbines within 2km of the NATS stations should not breach the horizon as seen from

the antennae. Potential sites at Mangurstadh would be seen against the backdrop of

Tathabhal or Mealaisbhal, and potential sites at Cradhlastadh or Bhaltos would be

seen against the ground behind the turbines due to the much higher elevation of the




receiver. Therefore, all potential sites close to the NATS sites would not significantly

break the existing terrain horizon as seen from the radio antennae.

Note that in addition to potential effect on the radio signals, NATS makes use of

microwave communications links including a direct link between the two radio

towers, and from Forsnabhal eastwards. NATS will also seek to safeguard the line of

these links.

MoD

Potential constraint due to the MoD radar on North Uist was considered. Sites at

Mangurstadh would potentially have some visibility to the radar. This is not

considered a major issue for the projects identified. We would not expect MoD

objection.

7.3 Site options

Taireabhal

The first identified site lies north of the road, west of Taireabhal at an altitude of

around 80 metres. We consider there will be an excellent wind resource at this

location and that turbulence will be acceptable. An access track of around 150 metres

will be required, and a slightly shorter length of grid connection as the line is just

north of the road at this point.

The distance of around 275 metres from the nearest houses means that noise and

shadow flicker should not be significant issues. Some fine tuning of the turbine is

possible in this area with increasing grid connection and access track costs as one

moves further north from the road, and decreasing visual impact from the closest

houses.

The potential site lies right at the edge of the search area identified, so the boundary

needs to be verified carefully, as well as any necessary rights to cross the intervening

land for access and grid connection.

We note that OS 1:25000 mapping shows “70” adjacent to a ring contour north of

the road at this point – we believe this to be an error and that this should read “80”

as this ring contour lies wholly above the 60 metre contour (this could only be correct

if this were a depression which on Lewis would surely be filled with water).




Tom Ghainnois

A second identified site lies by the public road to the Radio Station beside a track

branching off to the east. Infrastructure costs will be minimised in this location due to

the existing grid line and road.

A survey of this immediate area is recommended to finalise the turbine site if this

area is preferred. To maintain a set back from road and existing grid line of 50

metres, two sites present themselves: around 120 metres south of the track junction

on rocky ground around 50 metres east of the road and midway between the road

and the overhead electricity line; and around 110 metres north of the track junction,

again around 50 metres from and in between the road and electricity line. The former

location appears preferable being on rocky rather than peaty ground and a slightly

more exposed position, but both are likely to be viable.

This site lies wholly within the identified search area and adjacent to a public road

however it is close to the boundary of the search area and so the precise boundary

should be checked.

7.4 Finance

For the purposes of this report, a 50kW AOC turbine has been assumed. However

note that we recommend further consideration and due diligence before selecting a

final turbine model. At this size, turbines can be winch up and a permanent access

track may not be required from road to turbine position, however the selected

locations are relatively close to the existing road and the costs of the track would be

relatively little and so allowance has been made for a proper track to the turbine

locations. A 25 metres hub height has been assumed.

A base CapEx for of £210k has been assumed. However turbines in this size bracket

are still rare in the country and so prices should be monitored as the project

progresses. This price is relatively high in cost per kW installed compared to larger

turbines and may come down in the medium term, though availabil ity in the shorter

term may even drive prices up with the introduction of attractive terms under the

Feed In Tariff.

Project capital funding of around one third of the overall cost has been assumed,

with the remainder coming from a commercial rate bank loan. The proportion of

capital assumed is higher than is typical for wind energy projects for reason of the

relatively untested financial performance of wind turbines in this size bracket. It is

possible that bank lending is not available at all – Mangurstadh Development Group

should investigate this situation when closer to a specific project.




Site name CapEx

£k

Dist. to

nearest

house,

m

Mean

hub

height

wind

speed

m/s

Real

world

output

MWh/yr

Capital

assumed

£k

Rate of

return

Simple

pay-

back

years

Tom

Ghainnois

210 450 8.8 176 70 17% 6

Taireabhal 225 275 9.2 192 75 19% 5½

Summary of Mangurstadh site opt ions

7.5 Conclusions

A single wind turbine of around 50-100kW appears to be feasible in the Mangurstadh

area. Currently the supply of proven guaranteed wind turbine models in this bracket

is limited. Two potential locations have been identified and of these, the Taireabhal

site appears to offer slightly better returns and is further from the NATS station and

so is judged to have less potential for objection. However there is relatively little

between the two sites and it would be wise to leave both options on the table at this

stage. The area south of Mangurstadh, whilst windy, was judged to be much less

feasible due to poorer existing infrastructure and to turbulence issues towards the

high hills.

7.6 Recommendations

Given that this report is jointly reporting on the feasibility of a number of options

across several areas in West Lewis, Mangurstadh Development Group should consider

whether a joint project with one of the other groups nearby makes sense.

If a Mangurstadh project is to be pursued alone, then we recommend seeking

funding for and completing the following next steps:

Install suitable wind monitoring mast of 20-30m height around 50 metres

from the preferred location

Seek Screening opinion from CNES to confirm that an EIA will not be required

Agree with CNES, SNH, SEPA and NATS, the work required to support a

detailed planning application, e.g. noise assessment, breeding bird survey,

radio assessment, photomontages, site archaeological survey

Consider having surveys cover both potential sites, given the small extra cost

likely, in order to reduce the risk of a single constraint e.g. due to an

ornithological issue, affecting the whole project

Survey of area around preferred turbine location to produce site design

including turbine location and track route




8 BHALTOS

8.1 Introduction

The Bhaltos search area for a community wind turbine project comprised two

separate areas identified by the Bhaltos Community Trust. The north area was

around Bhaltos itself, stretching west as far as the hil l of Forsnabhal topped by a

NATS station. The south area was an irregular tranche of hill land meeting the public

road between Cairisiadar and Eanacleit, and stretching a number of kilometres into

the hinterland.

The northern search area is over 10km away from the Primary Substation at Giosla

where the 33kV supply is reduced and regulated to 11kV. At this distance, the

maximum viable wind turbine that may be connected will be around 400kW. The

overhead line spur serving Bhaltos itself and Riof is single phase (2 wire) and so is

not suitable for electricity generation beyond a domestic scale. The only area served

by three phase electricity within the northern search area is immediately north of the

Gleann Bhaltos valley where the line runs west towards Mangurstadh above the top

of the escarpment. The public road network serving this part of Bhaltos is poor and

the existing track via Cliobh is judged not to be viable for turbine delivery of over

100kW.

For the southern search area, areas more than 2km from the B8011 road were

excluded as being likely to be unviable given the search for a single turbine project

and the cost and impact of new track construction. This reduced area contains

rugged peaks and lies downwind in the prevailing directions of the high hills to the

west and south west, so locating a wind turbine to maximise the benefit of the wind

resource will be important in this area. Locations have been selected judged to best

meet the compromises of maximising energy production, minimising the risk of

problematic turbulence, minimising the construction cost and impact into the

„interior‟.

The presence of the NATS stations gives some potential for interaction with a wind

turbine opportunity. Please see section 7.2 above. Identified project options are from

1.5 to 8.6km from the NATS station at Forsnabhal and we judge that impact will be

acceptable at these locations, however this remains to be confirmed.

8.2 Site options

Gleann Bhaltos

The only potentially viable site for wind energy generation in northern Bhaltos was

considered to be just west of Loch a‟Gheoidh, close to the existing power line, and

close to the existing track. Delivery from the west is assumed with upgrading of the

existing track, however the condition of this track has not been assessed and is

essential to this option. Two new watercourse crossings are likely to be required and

the area appears fairly peaty and so may require extensive work that would render

this site unviable. Given potentially available wind turbine models, an Enercon E33

turbine was assumed for this site. Note that this site could be considered a variation

of one of the Cradhlastadh sites presented that is a short distance to the west.

This location was judged to be suitably far from higher ground and reasonably

disposed towards steep terrain to be likely to be clear of problematic turbulence,

however wind monitoring should be undertaken to confirm this initial estimate.

A turbine at this site may be visible to Calanish. Whilst not an overwhelming

constraint, photomontage and consideration of impact are likely to be required.




Gleann Bhaltos east

Oileasail (south ridge)

A potential wind turbine location exists on a minor summit at around 150 metres on

the south ridge of Oileasail. This location would require a relatively significant new

track construction of around 1100 metres to achieve a gradual gradient, along with

around 600 metres of upgrading to the existing track, however the turbine location

would be within around 700 metres of the B8011 development corridor. An initial

assessment is made that there would be no turbine visibility from Calanish.




Tom nan Laogh

Another site was identified close to an existing track to Loch na Croabhaig. This site

is on relatively low ground and stands at some risk of problematic turbulence due to

being downhill and downwind, in the prevailing wind direction, of Direadh Beinn. The

location identified appears to offer the best compromise within the search area in

terms of set back and elevation. A taller than normal hub height may be required in

this area to obtain a suitable flow of wind despite the likely high annual mean wind

speed. The existing track makes three water crossings but it may be possible to

reduce this to one, the ford over the south end of Loch Croistean, by realignment of

the upper track. An initial assessment is made that there would be no turbine

visibility from Calanish.

Other sites

The summit of Oileasail was considered to be at higher risk of problematic turbulence

given the steep west, north and east slopes, and so was ruled out.

A turbine location on Direabh Beinn was also considered. This would require new

track construction of around 1.6km plus upgrading of around 1km of existing track.

The electricity connection would be around 2km in length, longer if a buried cable

along the track line were used. This option was modelled financially taking account of

the likely higher wind resource and it was found overall to give a slightly lower return

than the other options presented due to the additional construction costs, though

remaining financially highly viable. Developing this site would take built development

into an area with at present limited development. This option would take a

constructed road and wind turbine a full 2km from the existing line of the B8011

road, in a National Scenic Area, and to a high point very visible from areas further

west. The hinterland is also categorised as an “area of search for wild land” by SNH

and so is perhaps more sensitive to development. In addition, a turbine in this

location could be visible from Calanish. For these reasons, this option is not

considered further.

Finally, a site outside the search area is briefly described here. It was noticed that a

wind turbine of 300 to 900kW could be sited around 100m west of the B8011 road,

around 1km south of Eanacleit. This would be close to existing infrastructure of road

and electricity, be close enough to Giosla to give good connection capacity, and

would offer a good wind resource. Being outside the identified search areas, this site

is not considered further.




8.3 Finance

For the purposes of this report, an E33 wind turbine (50 metre hub height) was

assumed for the option at Gleann Bhaltos, and an E44 wind turbine for the 2 options

around Loch Croistean (45m hub height assumed for the site on higher ground and

55m for the lower site). However note that we recommend further consideration and

due dil igence before selecting a final turbine model.

Project capital funding of around one third of the overall cost has been assumed,

with the remainder coming from a commercial rate bank loan. The proportion of

capital assumed is higher than is typical for wind energy projects for reason of the

relatively untested financial performance of wind turbines in this size bracket. It is

possible that bank lending is not available at all – Mangurstadh Development Group

should investigate this situation when closer to a specific project.

Site

name

CapEx

£k

Hub

height

assumed

Mean

hub

height

wind

speed

m/s

Real

world

output

MWh/yr

Capital

assumed

£k

Rate of

return

Simple

pay-

back

years

Gleann

Bhaltos

(east)

740 50 8.9 1190 150 100% 3.2

Oileasail 1300 44 9.3 2970 260 70% 4.0

Tom nan

Laogh

1245 55 8.6 2580 250 60% 4.4

Summary of Bhaltos site opt ions

For the Gleann Bhaltos and Tom nan Laogh options, some loss of production due to

problematic turbulence has been assumed. The financial analysis should be revisited

once wind monitoring has been undertaken.

8.4 Conclusions

The rugged terrain and limited existing road and electricity infrastructure of the

Bhaltos area gives challenges to the siting of wind turbines. In particular a single

turbine project must by necessity be relatively close to existing infrastructure, and so

a location that is both close to existing services, generally following the valley

bottoms, and being open to unobstructed wind flow in all directions must be sought.

The single E33 turbine sited above Gleann Bhaltos emerges as giving potentially the

greatest rate of financial return. However, this option is subject to track access from

the west being viable, and a turbine in this location may incur loss of production in

certain winds e.g. from the north due to the higher ground in that direction.

A larger single E44 turbine situated on the south ridge of Oileasail would also give an

excellent rate of return, with a greater overall profit potentially available given the

larger project size.

Relatively similar costs and benefits are predicted for the two 900kW turbine options

examined in the southern area, and so the Oileasail option is considered preferable

for reason of having a lower risk of problematic turbulence.




8.5 Recommendations


across several areas in West Lewis, Bhaltos Community Trust should consider

whether a joint project with one of the other groups nearby makes sense.

To progress these project options, we recommend seeking funding for and

completing the following next steps:

Install suitable wind monitoring mast of 40-50m height (see note below)

close to the preferred location

Seek Screening opinion from CNES to identify whether an EIA is required. An

EIA seems likely for the larger turbine options.



radio assessment, full landscape and visual impact assessment, site

archaeological survey

Survey and design access track and turbine location

Make grid connection application

If the Tom nan Laogh site is progressed, then a suitable wind monitoring mast is

recommended of at least 50 metres height with anemometry as a minimum at

around 22m and around 33m as well as mast top, to allow analysis of turbulence and

comparison of alternative hub heights. For the Oileasail site, a 40m mast with

anemometry at three heights should be sufficient.




9 CRADHLASTADH

9.1 Introduction

The Cradhlastadh search area for a community wind turbine project comprised the

area east and north from the village, an area of open, low, moor ground, rising up to

the rocky hill of Forsnabhal and a seemingly boggy slope down to Gleann Bhaltos in

the south.

A three phase (3 wire) 11kV electricity line runs along the south boundary before

heading south for Mangurstadh. A three phase branch runs north alongside the road

to Aird Uig. Due to the distance along the 11kV line from Giosla, the maximum

generation capacity that may be connected at Cradhlastadh is estimated at 300kW.

For a single turbine of this size, it is worth focussing on area close to the existing

road and grid infrastructure to minimise the overall construction cost that could erode

the profits available for community distribution.

The presence of the NATS stations gives some potential for interaction with a wind

turbine opportunity. Please see section 7.2 above. Ide ntified project options are all

under 2km from the NATS station at Forsnabhal so further consideration of impact on

NATS is essential.

9.2 Site options

Three Cradhlastadh sites were identified, however these three are in the same area

and could be considered as variations on the same site, with fine tuning over the

wind turbine position with respect to the NATS station, the higher ground of

Forsnabhal, existing road, tracks and grid lines, and set back from the vil lage. The

sites presented are indicative in any event and require survey to achieve a final

design. Turbines at all three sites were initially judged to be partially potentially

visible from Calanish.

Druim Coladale

A buffer of 650 metres was applied around the NATS tower. In theory a smaller

buffer could apply with the down sloping terrain, however we consider it not worth

challenging this distance in this case given that viable options are likely to be

available outside it. A rocky ridge extends south of west from the summit of

Forsnabhal, just north of the good metalled road that rises to the NATS receiver

station. This does not present an ideal wind generation side due to the proximity to

the higher ground of Forsnabhal itself, however it is open in other directions, is likely

to experience very low turbulence in west and south west winds likely to be

responsible for much of the annual energy production, due to the open exposure to

the Atlantic, and is close to the existing road and grid lines.

As well as lying close to the NATS station, a wind turbine on this shoulder would also

lie to the west of the antennae and so potentially between the antennae and aircraft

being communicated with, so additional focus on the potential for interference would

be expected. In addition, a turbine here would lie directly between the two NATS

stations at Forsnabhal and Mangurstadh, taken to be the line of a microwave

communication link

Given potentially available wind turbine models, an Enercon E33 turbine was

assumed for this site.




Druim Calodale

Allt Thairtain/ Gleann Bhaltos west

This site a few hundred metres east of the school and heritage centre was identified

by the community and appears feasible. It is accessed by travelling around 300m

east from the public road along the gravel track (that leads eventual ly to Miabhaig

keeping above Gleann Bhaltos), and then northwards on a branch track for around

100m, by the Allt Thairtain. A precise turbine location within this broad slope has not

been identified. Ideally the site should be as high as possible to maximise wind

resource, sufficiently far from housing to avoid noise and amenity issues, relatively

close to existing track and grid line, and as exposed to prevailing winds as possible.

Atmos considers that a good compromise is likely to exist around 50 metres north of

the existing grid and track line, relatively far east as the track rises in that direction.

An initial assessment is made that there would be turbine visibility from Calanish.

Other sites

A location on lower ground to the north of the Cradhlastadh road was considered.

The optimum location in this area could be on the 50 metre ring contour around NB

0470 3507. At 1.7km from the Forsnabhal summit, this location should not suffer

problematic turbulence. Wind resource will be lower, and capital costs higher as a




grid connection of around 750 metres would be required as well as access track of

around 150 metres. There may be a higher risk of bird issues in this area. This site

could be considered a fall back should a site pursued closer to Forsnabhal run into

difficulties.

9.3 Finance

For the purposes of this report, an E33 wind turbine (50 metre hub height) was

assumed. However note that we recommend further consideration and due diligence

before selecting a final turbine model.

Project capital funding of around 20% of the overall cost has been assumed, with the

remainder coming from a commercial rate bank loan. This should be readily

achievable using a proven turbine model and having firm wind data for the site.

Site

name

Distance

to

nearest

house,

m

Mean

hub

height

wind

speed

m/s

CapEx

£k

Real

world

output

MWh/yr

Capital

assumed

£k

Rate of

return

Simple

pay-

back

years

Druim

Coladale

1100 9.1 710 1218 140 109% 2.9

Allt

Thairtain

450 8.8 715 1170 145 100% 3.1

Gleann

Bhaltos

1100 9.0 735 1200 150 101% 3.1

Summary of Cradhlastadh site options

Some loss of production due to problematic turbulence has been assumed in each

case. The financial analysis should be revisited once wind monitoring has been

undertaken.

9.4 Conclusions

The identified search area by the village has been assessed for wind energy potential.

Further work on this specific issue is recommended. A number of sites have been

identified as potentially feasible. The presence of a NATS radio station within the site

area gives a potential significant constraint and further work on this issue is

recommended.

A single E33 turbine sited at one of the locations identified on the west or south side

of Forsnabhal appears to present a feasible project for the community.

9.5 Recommendations


across several areas in West Lewis, the client should consider whether a joint project

with one of the other groups nearby makes sense.

To progress the E33 project on Cradhlastadh land, we recommend seeking funding

for and completing the following next steps:

Install suitable wind monitoring mast of 40-50m height close to the preferred

location




Seek Screening opinion from CNES to identify whether an EIA is required.

Full LVIA likely to be required, other elements may be less necessary.



radio assessment, full landscape and visual impact assessment, s ite

archaeological survey

Survey and design access track and turbine location

Make grid connection application




10 APPENDIX – TABLE OF COORDINATES

Initially considered wind turbine coordinates, all sites

Site Approx altitude Grid square Easting Northing

Miabhaig road end 90 NG 1462 9718

(West of) Loch nan Uidhean 106 NG 1456 9536

Grosa Cleit 180 NG 1403 9395

Quarry 131 NG 1230 9448

Seilebost 85 NG 0560 9693

Aird Niosaboist 55 NG 0431 9720

Cleit Niosaboist 155 NG 0429 9593

Druim Sgarasta 61 NO 0161 9342

Liceasto 80 NG 1203 9157

Tom Ghainnois 60 NB 0801 3224

Taireabhal 80 NB 0139 3162

Forsnabhal - Druim Coladale 110 NB 0547 3558

Allt Thairtain 70 NB 0613 3471

Gleann Bhaltois west 75 NB 0685 3464

Gleann Bhaltois east 92 NB 0719 3472

Oileasail (south ridge) 140 NB 1061 2961

Tom nan Laogh 70 NB 1097 2868

Creagan Ban 55 NB 1247 2705

Direabh Beinn 210 NB 0979 2831

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