Redland Wind Energy Project
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Redland Wind Energy Project Scoping Report Report OSE/3500 Orkney Sustainable Energy Ltd 6 North End Road Stromness Orkney KW16 3AG Scoping Report Redland Wind Energy Project December 2010 Redland Wind Energy Project Scoping Report Report OSE/3500 December 2010 Project Developer: Redland Renewables Ltd Scoping Assessment: Richard Gauld BSc(Hons) IEng MInstMC Dip.GeoSci Dip.DesInn Orkney Sustainable Energy Ltd 6 North End Road Stromness Orkney KW16 3AG Telephone 01856 850054 Email [email protected] Web www.orkneywind.co.uk Richard Gauld is a Member of the Institute of Measurement and Control, is a professional design engineer, and is registered as an Incorporated Engineer with the Engineering Council of Great Britain. OSE/3500 3 Scoping Report Redland Wind Energy Project December 2010 Redland Wind Energy Project Report OSE/3500 Scoping Report This report is a scoping study into the potential for a small locally owned wind energy project in Mainland Orkney. The report identifies the possible location, planning constraints, ecological constraints, geomorphology, the wind regime, land use, grid issues, visual impact assessment, and community ownership issues, with an appendix on potential archaeological impacts. Appended to the report are a set of plans, maps and photomontage images. Chapter 1 Location identification, grid issues, and planning constraints Chapter 2 Land use, geomorphology and hydrology constraints Chapter 3 Ecological constraints Chapter 4 Landscape and visual impact assessment Chapter 5 Socio-economics and community governance Appendix: Preliminary Site Drawings, Maps and Photomontage Images OSE/3500 4 Scoping Report Redland Wind Energy Project December 2010 CONTENTS SUMMARY 6 1 PLANNING AND DESIGN 7 1.1 PROPOSED LOCATION 8 1.2 WIND ASSESSMENT 9 1.3 CARBON EMISSION AVOIDANCE 9 1.4 ALTERNATIVE LOCATIONS 10 1.5 PROVISIONAL DESIGN STATEMENT 12 1.6 WIND TURBINE SELECTION 13 1.7 NATIONAL PLANNING CONTEXT 15 1.8 ORKNEY STRUCTURE PLAN CONTEXT 16 1.9 ORKNEY ISLANDS COUNCIL LOCAL PLAN 17 1.10 OIC PLANNING GUIDANCE 20 1.11 GRID ISSUES 21 1.12 POTENTIAL DISTURBANCE FROM NOISE 21 1.14 POTENTIAL DISTURBANCE FROM SHADOW FLICKER 22 1.15 POTENTIAL RADIOCOMMUNICATIONS INTERFERENCE 23 2 GEOLOGY, GEOMORPHOLOGY AND HYDROLOGY 24 2.1 GEOLOGY 24 2.2 HYDROLOGY 24 2.3 GEOMORPHOLOGY – RISK OF PEAT SLIDE 25 2.4 LAND USE ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS 26 3 ECOLOGICAL CONSTRAINTS 27 3.1 BACKGROUND 27 3.2 SITE CONTEXT 27 3.3 POTENTIAL IMPACTS 28 3.4 PROPOSED MAMMAL SURVEY 28 4 LANDSCAPE AND VISUAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT 29 4.1 VISUAL IMPACT UPON THE LANDSCAPE 29 4.2 ZONE OF THEORETICAL VISIBILITY 29 4.3 IMPACT ON VISUAL RESOURCE 29 4.4 VISUAL ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY 30 4.5 CUMULATIVE IMPACT 33 5 SOCIO-ECONOMICS AND COMMUNITY GOVERNANCE 34 5.1 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT 34 5.2 GOVERNANCE AND SUSTAINABILITY 34 5.3 CONCLUSIONS 35 REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY 36 Appendix Plans, Maps and Preliminary Photomontage Images OSE/3500 5 Scoping Report Redland Wind Energy Project December 2010 Summary The Redland Wind Energy Project is a privately owned community windfarm being developed by Redland Renewables Ltd, a local company. Orkney Sustainable Energy have been contracted to complete a Scoping Report on behalf of the developer. It is proposed that up to three wind turbines will be installed on elevated land above Rendall and Firth in the West Mainland of Orkney. The preliminary turbine chosen for the development is the Enercon E44 900kW. The turbine model may change, subject to availability, however for the purposes of this report the E44 has been used to show a typical machine for the development. The electricity generated will be traded to meet the requirements of the Renewables Order (Scotland) 2002, and it is expected that the project will connect into the Orkney grid under an active network management system; the island grid is only a short distance form the turbine locations. The project is a locally-owned community renewable energy investment scheme, as promoted by the Scottish Government in Planning Policy SPP6, with the Firth and Rendall communities invited to become participants. As a result of desk-based design studies, the project has been designed around three 70m tall turbines to give a maximum output of 2.7MW, with the project designed to fit within the landscape and to have minimal impact upon neighbours. Preliminary landscape and visual impact studies have been completed, and it was determined that the turbines present a simple, clear relationship to the landform and other existing features, and have largely low to moderate levels of significance. Potential ecological impacts have been considered, including a habitat survey, a mammal survey, a breeding bird survey, and an assessment of any protected species near the site. Initial assessment on the archaeology of the site and surrounding area has been completed and analysis includes a geological and hydrogeological survey, photomontage modelling, a description of the wind turbines, and detailed maps of the development. It was concluded that a small wind energy project is feasible for this part of Orkney, with low impacts upon ecology and the local community. Strong social and economic benefits can be achieved by constructing the Redland project, along with the associated climate change benefits resulting from renewable energy production. OSE/3500 6 Scoping Report Redland Wind Energy Project December 2010 1 Planning and Design Orkney is an important area for wind energy development; a number of projects have been established in the islands , primarily as cluster developments on hilltop and moorland locations. The Redland project continues this pattern of development and has been designed as a three turbine project located in the moorland hills above the farm of Redland, to avoid impacts upon neighbours, while providing diversification required for the commercial viability of the farmland, along with strong economic benefits to the local community. The project shall also provide a further contribution to the development of clean energy as encompassed within government policy. Orkney Sustainable Energy were approached by the farmer in 2003 leading to preliminary design and initial consultation. Once the MoD, the Civil Aviation Authority and Kirkwall Airport confirmed that they had no objections, detailed ecological and environmental studies began, resulting in the detailed design and development of a large single wind turbine in 2007, located on the flat land between Redland farm and the Wide Firth. Due to the prominent location this project was not felt to be acceptable by the local authority, and accordingly was refused planning consent. This new project has been designed around the Enercon E44 wind turbine, and although the actual turbine model may alter nearer the time of construction, this machine represents the maximum scale; the site layout and all modelling has used a 45m turbine tower height and a rotor diameter of 50m. The blade length is actually 21m, allowing for a 2m diameter hub. A grid connection application has been accepted by Scottish and Southern Energy, and it is intended that the turbines will operate under the proposed Regional Power Zone. There are 11 kV and 33 kV electricity transmission lines in the area, and the turbines will connect to the local distribution system via a switchgear building above Redland. This revised location has been selected to minimise visual and noise impacts upon the immediate neighbours to the development, while at the same time ensuring low ecology impacts. The other major constraint in the West Mainland of Orkney is the need to ensure minimal indirect impacts upon the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site; the Redland project cannot be seen from any of the monuments, nor can it be seen from anywhere in the intervening landscape. OSE/3500 7 Scoping Report Redland Wind Energy Project December 2010 This part of the report identifies the proposed site for the wind turbine development and the activities involved in delivering and constructing the wind energy project at Redland. The assessment includes planning constraints in Orkney, a description of the site and identification of grid connection locations. The aspects considered include civil engineering, transport of the equipment, installation of the wind turbines, operation and maintenance of the project and eventual decommissioning of the turbines. 1.1 Proposed location The site proposed for the development is on elevated rough grazing above Redland farm, in the Firth area of Mainland Orkney. Up to three wind turbines could be positioned on moorland, with the positions chosen to be on hard, stable underlying bedrock. The grid references are as listed below, Table 1, with a note of the base elevation and overall height of each installation above sea level, including maximum wind turbine blade tip height. There will be a requirement for an external switchgear housing with approximate dimensions of 6m by 4m by 3m, located next to the overhead cables. There are two sets of overhead wires travelling across Redland. Either the 11kV or the 33kV system will be used; the 11kV system is the main supply for all farms and domestic properties in the area and 33kV is used for the inter island grid. The switchgear house will consist of a building appropriate for the location, and is a low profile structure located within an area of woodland next to the 33kV inter-island grid. Turbine Easting Northing Position Tower top Maximum elevation elevation elevation T1 E336500 N1017295 130m 175m 200m T2 E336415 N1017095 119m 164m 189m T3 E336415 N1016680 121m 166m 191m Substation E366665 N1016950 90m -- -- Table 1 Provisional turbine locations and heights OSE/3500 8 Scoping Report Redland Wind Energy Project December 2010 1.2 Wind assessment Extensive wind measurement has not been conducted for the Redland project. It will likely be necessary to conduct a wind monitoring programme at some stage in order to clarify the resource; funders and the turbine supply company will require this information to quantify annual mean wind speed, turbulence intensity, air flow roughness and to confirm that separation of wind flow does not occur.