RAW STORY
Scottish ministers have given the go-ahead to an experimental
offshore windfarm site near Aberdeen after ignoring Donald Trump’s angry
threats of legal action to block the project.
Trump has repeatedly attacked the European offshore wind deployment centre (EOWDC) proposal,
alleging the turbines will ruin the view from his £750m golf resort,
which overlooks the North Sea and sits several kilometres north of the
site’s boundary.
The billionaire property magnate again threatened to use his financial muscle to oppose the 11-turbine project in the courts using “every legal means” to defeat it. Despite recently announcing plans to build a second 18-hole golf course at his resort, he repeated his threat to put his entire project on hold because the windfarm threatened the financial viability of his resort.
In
a statement, the developer attacked his former friend and ally Alex
Salmond, the first minister. “This was a purely political decision,”
Trump said.
“As dictated by Alex Salmond, a man whose obsession with obsolete
wind technology will destroy the magnificence and beauty of Scotland.
Likewise, tourism, Scotland’s biggest industry, will be ruined. We will
spend whatever monies are necessary to see to it that these huge and
unsightly industrial wind turbines are never constructed.
“All over the world they are being abandoned, but in Scotland they
are being built. We will put our future plans in Aberdeen on hold, as
will many others, until this ridiculous proposal is defeated. Likewise,
we will be bringing a lawsuit within the allocated period of time to
stop what will definitely be the destruction of Aberdeen and Scotland
itself.”
Fergus Ewing, the Scottish energy minister, said the £230m project
would be capable of generating up to 100MW of power, enough for nearly
half of Aberdeen’s homes.
But he added that the project was chiefly designed to test and
evaluate advanced new offshore wind power designs, potentially helping
to find new breakthrough technologies. Scottish and UK ministers, who
also support the project, believe it could be crucial to helping the UK
exploit the £100bn offshore wind industry.
The 11 turbines, which have been reduced in number and location after
objections from fisheries and aviation interests, are expected to be of
different heights and designs. The project, owned by the Swedish power
giant Vattenfall and a local business and university consortium, still
needs marine consents and planning consent for an onshore sub-station.
Ewing
said: “Offshore renewables represent a huge opportunity for Scotland;
an opportunity to build up new industries and to deliver on our
ambitious renewable energy and carbon reduction targets.
“The proposed European offshore wind deployment centre will give the
industry the ability to test and demonstrate new technologies in order
to accelerate its growth. [It] secures Aberdeen’s place as the energy
capital of Europe.”
The scheme has been made subject to a series of fresh conditions, to
protect defence and civil aviation radar systems, avoid a military
firing range at Black Dog, on environmental management and on protecting
shipping and fishing in the area.
Trump’s opposition to the project led to open hostilities between him
and Salmond, who had originally been a prominent cheerleader for
Trump’s golf resort and hotel development and played a crucial role in
it securing planning approval.
Trump’s attacks on Salmond’s vigorous support for wind power have put
the two men in direct conflict and also soured Trump’s relationships
with some of his most influential supporters in Aberdeen.
Several major figures and institutions who supported Trump’s resort –
the North Sea engineering millionaire Sir Ian Wood, Robert Gordon
University and Aberdeenshire council – are also directly involved in the
EOWDC project.
They believe it could substantially support Aberdeen’s attempts to
benefit from the billions of pounds being spent on renewable energy
investment, particularly as an alternative to North Sea oil and gas.
Iain Todd, a spokesman for the project, made this clear, stating:
“The Scottish government’s most welcome approval for the EOWDC is
extremely positive news for both Scotland and the UK’s offshore wind
industry as it helps position Scotland, the UK and Europe at the global
vanguard of the sector.
“The decision also confirms Aberdeen city and shire’s status as a
world-class energy hub, bringing with it significant economic benefits
which will be pivotal to ensuring the region’s long-term prosperity.”
Richard Dixon, director of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said:
“Offshore wind will be a huge part of our energy future and this scheme
is a big step forward.
“Well done to the Scottish government for standing up to Donald Trump’s threats and bluster.”
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News and Media 2013
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