Arnish Lighthouse

<![CDATA[ First of all, some good news. The Arnish Fabrication Yard is set to reopen, offering 10 jobs from the start, which may increase to 40 jobs later on. The operators are a Dutch / Swiss consortium Altissimo, who aim to preserve the Camcal name. Camcal went into receivership in the last quarter of 2006, leading to dozens of job losses and severe financial hardship for several island business.

Although it is good to see this heavy industry raised from the ashes (again), I wonder who will be prepared to stake his long-term future on Camcal as is now. This is the third reinvigoration of the Yard, after two failures, the last in the face of a boom market for renewables. IF the windfarms in Lewis come to be, this might be the place for the turbines to be built.

The controversy surrounding the windfarms continues to rage. A very interesting letter caught my eye in the Stornoway Gazette last Thursday, in which the correspondent suggested that the landfall for the interconnector be put in one of the sealochs on the Eishken Estate. The most logical choice would be Loch Shell. Kinlochshell is uninhabited, miles from anywhere and will not sully anybody's surroundings with pylons, substations and the like.

I have drawn another map, suggesting a different infrastructure.

Kinlochshell is marked on the map. P denotes the approximate position of the Pairc windfarm, M the approximate position of the Eishken project and X, just southwest of Balallan, is the link-up with the existing high-voltage network in the island. Very few people indeed will be inconvenienced by the cabling if done this way. I think it's the grand total of two houses - one near Kinloch Seaforth, the other half a mile further west at Sideabhal.

Probably too simple... ]]>

<![CDATA[ Found this article on the BBC News website, featuring the opinion of the National Trust. They state that the government should aim to preserve peatbogs.

Apparently, the British bogs store 20 years' worth of carbon emissions by the UK as a whole. However, changes in the environment mean that the bogs dry out in certain areas, leading to a release of the carbon into the atmosphere as CO2 - one of the so-called greenhouse gases.

Now, this has huge relevance here in Lewis as well as across the Highlands. Lewis is covered by a blanket of peat, up to 6 metres (20 ft) thick. When the windfarms, proposed for North Lewis, Pairc and Eishken are built, a large amount of peat stands to be disturbed.

This scientific statement is NOT new, it has been brought up in objections raised against the windfarms. Bearing in mind the shift in government stance on renewable energy (see two posts back), I think it is very important that this be taken into account. I am aware that this is the National Trust (not for Scotland), but the implications are most certainly there for this island. ]]>

<![CDATA[ On February 14th, I posted a link to a petition to the Prime Minister. He has now responded, and I’ll copy the petition and Tony Blair’s reply below. I found the third paragraph very interesting.

Details of petition:
“We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to withdraw all subsidies and support to on-shore wind farms in valued landscapes.”

“We agree with the need to find methods to prevent climate change affecting our environment but this must be done with the full support of the public. No attempt can be successful if it destroys the very environment that we hope to save. We call for support for renewable energy projects that are NOT divisive in nature. We call for greater subsidies to small/personal micro-generation schemes such as solar heating. The major mechanism for reduction in CO2 and other greenhouse gasses must be responsible cooperation with the public, NOT imposition of unwanted areas of policy that threaten many households. On-shore wind farms may (when subsidised with public funds) provide large profits to multi-national corporations but their contribution to CO2 reduction is small when weighed against the savings that are possible IF the public feel that they are part of the solution and not having to fight against it!”

PM’s replyThe onshore wind industry does not receive any direct grant subsidy or support above that available under the Renewables Obligation (RO). The RO is a mechanism that allows for renewable energy generators to receive a premium for every Megawatt of electricity generated. The UK has one of the best wind profiles in Europe, with the potential to supply a significant portion of our energy needs. Wind energy currently offers the best, and most cost-effective, potential in the short to medium term for the expansion of renewables. However, all proposed wind developments must take place within the formal planning procedure, which allows all relevant stakeholders to have their view and assess all relevant impacts on the environment, local community etc.

The Government remains committed to renewable energy, and has put in place a substantial framework to encourage its development. The Energy White Paper Our energy future - creating a low carbon economy sets out a clear strategy to reduce harmful emissions over the next 50 years with a major expansion of renewable energy and energy efficiency at its heart. It sets out four goals for the Government’s energy policy: to work towards cutting emissions of carbon dioxide by some 60 per cent by around 2050; to maintain the reliability of energy supplies; to promote competitive energy markets in the UK and beyond; and to ensure that every home is adequately and affordably heated. It is within this wider context that the development of renewables takes place.

In March 2006 Government published the microgeneration strategy which contains a number of measures to address some of the wider barriers preventing the development of a sustainable market in microgeneration. These include measures to tackle upfront costs, including to help microgenerators gain better access to the rewards for generating electricity e.g. easier access to Renewable Obligation Certificates and improved rewards for electricity exported to the grid. In last weeks Budget a 50% increase in funding for householders to install small scale renewables such as micro wind turbines and solar panels was announced. This will take the total available under the Low Carbon Building Programme to more than

<![CDATA[ The controversy surrounding the three windfarms on Lewis took on a new slant on Wednesday. Apart from having some 300 turbines on the island (181 in North Lewis, 53 in Eishken and 65 in Pairc], standing 450 to 500 feet tall, there is also the associated infrastructure. I am talking powerlines, substations and the line to the mainland, referred to as the interconnector.

Having generated all that power, it obviously has to go to the National Grid, which is envisaged to be via the interconnector (a 60 mile long subsea cable) to Little Loch Broom, south of Ullapool. From there, a line will be built to Beauly, west of Inverness. The existing powerline from Beauly to Denny (near Stirling) is due to be upgraded.

Restricting this post to the island side of this infrastructure, the residents of Gravir (10 miles east of Balallan) were unpleasantly surprised to learn that their tiny township had been selected as the site for the interconnector from Lewis to the mainland. Gravir sits at the head of Loch Odhairn, surrounded by moorland, linked by road to Lemreway in the south, Marvig in the northeast and Balallan (on the main A859 Stornoway to Tarbert road) in the west. I happen to know the area very well indeed.

In order to house the interconnector, powerlines will be marching across the moors from Stornoway to Grimshader, Crossbost / Leurbost and Keose, then under Loch Erisort to Garyvard and over the moors to Gravir. A huge substation will be built near the village, the size of 20 houses. Pylons will also feed in from the Eishken windfarm, as well as from the Pairc turbines on the adjacent estate. Basically, Glen Odhairn stands to be industrialised, where at present it is a wilderness, backing on to the Eishken estate.

This map (opens in separate window) shows my personal interpretation of the information at hand. I do NOT make any claims to accuracy.

Local residents have expressed outrage at the prospect of having huge pylons and infrastructure right outside their front doors. Concerns have also been aired about the possible harmful effects of high-voltage powerlines; some research suggests that the electromagnetic fields surrounding these transmission lines is a contributary factor in the development of childhood leukaemia.

It was stressed by developers SSE that this is only a voluntary exercise, with more formal sessions to follow later. A planning application is yet to be submitted, and construction is a long way off. A public exhibition is due to be held at Stornoway, Kershader and Ullapool by SSE in mid-April.

I have so far refrained from passing comment on the Pairc windfarm, bearing in mind the efforts to buy out the estate, but I sometimes wonder if those in favour of these schemes have properly visualised the impact a windfarm with associated infrastructure has. ]]>

<![CDATA[
Lewis did have railways, around the turn of the 19th/20th century. There was a railway from the quarry at Bennadrove to Stornoway. Posts related to this track can still be found in the Castle Grounds, opposite the Caberfeidh Hotel.

A trackbed was laid near Garrabost in Point, but a railway was never built. The same fate befell the track, linking Carloway to Stornoway along what is now the Pentland Road. It was a plan conceived by Lord Leverhulme, who also envisaged lines from Stornoway down to Lochs and Tarbert, as well as over to the West Side. None of these ever came to be.

In a recent revision of traffic movements in Stornoway, the Comhairle suggested the institution of a narrow gauge railway from the Waterwheel (off Willowglen) to the YM Bridge and on to Cuddy Point. A branch would lead down Cromwell Street. Carriages would be fully enclosed, and a train would carry 24 people.

The idea is nice and the underlying philosophy laudable. It is a good idea to reduce the number of car journeys into the town centre. The Manor Roundabout in rush hour is (apparently) a bottleneck.

However. I do not see how car drivers can be tempted to veer up Willowglen Road, park up around Ardshellach (a residential area), dive down a very steep muddy track to jump on a wee train. Which can only take 24 people, and how about luggage? I've dubbed it the Castle Grounds Express, but cannot see it taking off. ]]>

<![CDATA[ The oilrig Sedco 711, which I reported on a few days ago, has now departed for its position off Co Donegal. Apart from being weatherbound in the Minch, the crew of the two anchor-handling vessels (Far Sky and Far Fosna) were changed at Stornoway. The port here has a facility for vessels to change crews, offering a 25% reduction in harbour dues, provided they depart within 24 hours. The third boat, Ocean Viscount, came into port at dusk last night, manoeuvering very gingerly as far as Glumag Harbour, before leaving at 9pm. Apparently, the two tug boats can handle anchors up to 22 tons.

Isles FM also reported that the Coastguard were offered the facilities of the AIS system (Automatic Information System), which I use daily to see which vessels come and go up and down the Minch. The link was previously featured by blogger Thewhitesettler; here are the updated links for points of interest to BBC Island Bloggers.

Stornoway
The Minch
Orkney
]]>

<![CDATA[ The oil drilling rig Sedco 711 has been stationary off the east coast of Lewis, just within sight of Stornoway since early on Friday. According to AIS, which shows the positions of auxiliary vessels (like the tugs Far Sky and Far Fosna), it is located off Marvig, between Loch Erisort (Cromore) and Loch Ouirn (Gravir).

Either of the tugs have been alongside pier no 3 since Friday. A stand-by safety vessel, the Ocean Viscount is near the rig. I'm absolutely consumed with curiosity what is going on, as all vessels associated with the rig are said to be on their way to Killibegs (Co Donegal, Ireland), due there on March 9th. There is an air of deja-vu about this, as the sight of oilrigs was common in Stornoway in the 1980s.

alt="The rig arrives at 6.30 a.m.">
alt="View in broad daylight">

alt="Ominous clouds on Friday afternoon">
alt="Ocean-going tug Far Fosna returning to station">

This afternoon (Monday) I went over to the Battery to have a better look at the rig, but visibility got a bit impaired with a shower which decided to blow up.

alt="Showery cloudscapes">>>> ]]>