A major consultation roadshow into the potential environmental, socio-economic and visual impacts of the proposed £24 million Beatrice Wind Farm Demonstrator Project planned for the Moray Firth will get underway later this month. Starting on 25 July in Wick and ending on 31 August in Fraserburgh, the roadshow will visit 14 coastal venues in the Highlands, Morayshire and Aberdeenshire.
Talisman Energy (U.K.) Limited and Scottish and Southern Energy, its co-venturer, have organised the roadshow as the next step in an extensive consultation programme they are running during the course of this year. The findings from these consultations will form an important part of the formal environmental assessment that has to be completed in order to secure development consent for the demonstrator.
“We are extending an open invitation to members of the public, special interest and community groups who wish to comment on the project, hear more about it or raise any concerns to come along and meet with representatives from the project team,” commented Jan Rusin, Talisman’s Environment Manager.
“This is a major project for the north of Scotland and we are keen to meet with as many people as possible. We are very firmly committed to working in partnership with interest groups in order to obtain the consent we need.”
The Demonstrator Project proposes the installation of two 5-MW wind turbines located on the seabed linked by subsea cable to the nearby Beatrice platform. Power generated by the turbines would be used to offset electricity currently imported to Beatrice from the national grid.
The Demonstrator Project would be used to examine the feasibility and benefits of creating commercial offshore deepwater wind farms which currently require significant technological advances to make commercially viable. The Project is made possible by £3 million in funding from each of the Scottish Executive and the UK Department of Trade and Industry. The European commission is contributing £4 million and Talisman and SSE will each contribute over £7 million.
The roadshow will be visiting Wick (MacKays Hotel, 25 July); Lybster (Portland Arms, 26 July); Helmsdale (Belgrave Arms, 15 August); Brora (Royal Marine Hotel, 16 August); Golspie (Ben Bhraggie Hotel, 17 August); Dornoch (Dornoch Castle, 18 August); Tain (Mansfield Hotel, 19 August), Cromarty (Lighthouse Research Station, 22 August); Inverness (Station Hotel, 23 August); Nairn (Windsor Hotel, 24 August); Burghead (Commercial Hotel, 25 August); Buckie (Marine Hotel, 29 August); Banff (Banff Springs Hotel, 30 August) and Fraserburgh (Saltoun Hotel, 31 August).
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