Whitelee Windfarm powers ahead

May 15 2009 by Stef Lach, Kilmarnock Standard

STRETCHING across the Eaglesham Moor and into East Ayrshire, Whitelee Windfarm is a sight to behold.

You can see it from miles away in every direction, the 126 turbines turning slowly in the wind and supplying massive amounts of electricity to the national grid.

There are still 14 turbines to be erected, bringing the total number up to 140 – enough to power 180,000 homes.

But it might not stop there as ScottishPower Renewables, the company behind the project, have lodged an application to add another 110 turbines to the site.

I was driven from one end of the site to the other and on the way I got to see the component parts of the turbines up close.

While the masts are made of metal, the three 40metre blades are made of a kind of fibreglass and you can see them bending in the wind.

A small computer brain in each turbine searches out wind and turns the blades to face in the appropriate direction.

They are capable of turning 720 degrees to make the most of the wind.

And should the turbine develop a fault, the computer sends a text message to an engineer explaining exactly what is wrong.

The power harnessed from the wind is sent to a transformer that sits alongside each turbine, before travelling along underground cables to the site’s substation where it is then transferred to the national grid.

Standing directly underneath a turbine, it appears as though the blades are falling from the sky.

The first thing I noticed is the noise, or rather the lack of it.

The blades, when turning at full speed, make no more noise than a stiff breeze.

I have heard concerns that the turbines can pose a danger to birds.

While the blades would certainly put paid to any creature that happens to get in the way, I saw birds flying happily past them all morning.

The site is accessed by a 90km network of dirt roads, all built with material taken from vast ‘borrow pits’ on the site.

These pits, 50metres or more deep, will later be filled with soil and gravel from the 140 holes dug for the turbines, as well as peat and plant waste to restore nutrients to the earth.

It’s clear that a huge amount of time and money is being spent on ensuring there is minimal impact on the environment.

Each turbine stands 110metres high from base to tip of the blade.

They are strategically placed to prevent the wake from each turbine affecting any others.

ScottishPower Renewables have leased the land from various land owners, including Scottish Water, the Forestry Commission and Lord Rowallan. They have a 25 year lease on the land, 25 years being the lifespan of the turbines.

Derek Christie, ScottishPower Renewables’ communications executive, said: “Once the 25 years is up, the company will decide whether to replace the turbines and renew the lease, or return the site to its original state.

“We hope people will use the roads here and that the Eaglesham Moor will be a place people want to visit. Walkers, cyclists and dog walkers will love the paths and the scenery.”

And if walking’s not your thing, a £2million state-of-the-art visitor centre is being built and will be opened to the public in the summer. The centre will include an education suite for visiting school kids.

A community fund has also been set up by ScottishPower Renewables which will pay for projects in the surrounding areas, including East Ayrshire.

Anyone who objected to the windfarm may have their minds changed by visiting the site. Like it or not, this is the future for Scotland’s power needs.

And surely it beats the alternatives?