The Beauly-Denny power line and the new realities
published this on 11:51 pm, Sunday, 25th October, 2009Community News| Politics| Renewable Energy | Comments (rss) | Respond | Ping |
The Scottish Government is to approve the £400 million power line from Beauly, near Inverness, south through the Cairngorm National Park to Denny, near Falkirk in the Central Belt.
This power line, capable of carrying 6GW of power, will need 600 pylons at 200 ft high each.
It is this factor that has made the proposal controversial and will make the approval a contentious one.
The problem is that Scotland’s leading role in the development of renewable energies from wind and tide will require a very significant upgrading of the National Grid to make it a reality.
At the moment, the various sites being opened up for offshore wind and for tidal energy generation will almost all be unable to add the power they generate to the already saturated grid.
The priority has to be getting the grid to a state where it can carry the new power as it comes onstream. Otherwise there wll be the embarrassment later on of the harnessing of new sources for energy generation – with nowhere to go.
The principle behind the decision – the commitment to a robust preparation for the new energy sources to come – matters to Argyll.
Kintyre, Islay and Tiree are all areas where the Crown Estate has granted development licences to establish the viability of offshore wind farm sites. These will be unable to attract investment unless the construction of the sub-sea connector from Hunterston can be assured. Without that upgrade to the grid, power they generate will have no outlet for supply and sale.
The estimated capacity of these sites makes them of major value. Scottish Power Renewables’ Argyll Array, west of the Isle of Tiree, has by far the largest projected output (1.5GW) of any of the allocations currently granted in Scotland. Kintyre is estimated at 378MW and Islay at 680MW. Additionally, in planning and with a pilot study under way, is, of course, the potentially hugely powerful Sound of Islay marine turbine development.
The raw choice Scotland faces is to have a bare and beautiful highlands whose natural resource potential for energy generation cannot be harnessed for the national good – and seeing this vast area become progressively unable to sustain community life – or to learn not to see the pylons.
The planet is in a double jeopardy situation.
We need to develop and deploy renewable energy effectively and reliably as fast as we can because global warming is an accelerating phenomenon.
Nuclear energy is described as ‘clean’ by its advocates when this is the narrowest and mist misleading of terms. Nuclear power is the dirtiest of all since there is not even on the horizon a method of neutralising its waste, leaving the environment a prey to leaking radioactivity for centuries.
If we stop or retard the development and harnessing of renewable energy – the planet suffers. If we revert to nuclear power – the only ‘conventional’ alternative to oil – the planet suffers.
We either accept that some of our untouched landmass will be less beautiful, with pylons and wind turbines (all of which can be removed with no lasting environmental impact when money and alternatives become available); or we sign up to nuclear power and add to the seizures the earth and its species will suffer long into the future.
Realistically, there is no money and no time for any other solution than the Beauly-Denny line.
Update 6th January 2010: The Scottish government announced today that the overland Beauly-Denny power line will go ahead. We all need to remember that no one ‘owns’ a view. Some are fortunate to have years of free pleasure from a particular view. Others – most – never enjoy a pleasureable view, urban or rural. There is obviously no feasible alternative to this solution carrying power that is in all our interests. Objectors should count the blessings they have long enjoyed, look to the condition of the majority and stop whingeing.
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October 26th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
[...] Argyll News: “We either accept that some of our untouched landmass will be less beautiful, with pylons and [...]
October 26th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
How about the Beauly – Denny underground power line? Although costly, it would preserve our beautiful Scottish scenery and environment whilst providing transmission that would be less likely to be affected by storms.
October 27th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Undergrounding such a line -even through the most scenic sections – is not simply “costly” but hideously expensive.The pylons have followed sections of the A9 and crossed over the Corrieyarrick for decades. In my distant youth these were regarded as symbols of a new dynamism in Scotland as the benefits of grid Hydro electricity became a reality for people across the country.Now they have to be upgraded.
When will there be wider acceptance of the reality of the parlous state that the UK economy is in now in and start to live within our means?
That also means that we must facilitate and do so quickly, the means of transmitting power from the edges where it can be tapped to the centre where it is needed.Offshore capabilities will need a subsea facility down the west coast to enable Scotland to fulfil her potential as a net exporter of clean and sustainable energy.
October 27th, 2009 at 1:44 pm
What about all the folk who may have to live under such power lines and all the associated health implications?
What feasibility studies have the SNP undertaken to ensure this is the best way forward for all concerned?
Is this the benchmark for SNP policy where energy policies completely outrank anything else?
October 27th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Was there not a comprehensive and long drawn out public enquiry process carried out precisely to explore these issues? I understand it is on the findings there that the decision of Ministers is to be based.
Other aspects of “energy policy” eg the very large wind farm development on Barvas Moor on Lewis, have been rejected by the givernment indicating that each case has to be considered on its merits.
Predictably they were strongly criticised for that as well!!
October 27th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
Who may “have to” live under such power lines?
Virtually nobody I would think.
I’m afraid this site is getting bogged down with synthetic negativity by a few contributors who seem to think that they have an obligation to attack anything the Government does.
I don’t like power lines and pylons across the country either but I have to say my need for affordable electricity generated cleanly and distributed efficiently out balances that.
November 19th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
David,
I’m pretty sure that neither the Beauly Denny upgrade or the increase in use of renewable sources in Scotland will make electricity any more affordable. I’m also fairly sure that most of this power from Scotland’s new renewable sources will be for export to England and beyond, this is where the electricity companies will make real profit not from consumers in Scotland. I also miss your point on efficient distribution as there are relatively few renewable sources along the Beauly Denny route.
November 30th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
David McEwan Hill: “Who may “have to” live under such power lines? Virtually nobody I would think.”
Perhaps you should go and have a look at the plans for the powerlines that are available online David, that’ll tell you the numbers of people nearby who will be effected by the erection of these lines, before you cme out and say “virtually nobody” will be effected you “think”.
This issue is not about “attacking anything the Government does” by the way, but the colour of your political rossette have certainly been noted.
November 30th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
“nearby” and “under” are not the same word.
Virtually nobody will live under these lines. In fact I would be willing to bet that nobody will have to live under these lines.
fergu5 above makes completeley unsubstantiated assertions and expects to be taken seriously
November 30th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
debate on what government does is positive for us all even if the government of the day’s chums find examination upsetting