Scottish government approves plans for windfarm and really annoys Donald Trump

[nmarks]

Link

Donald Trump has pledged to use "any legal means" to block the building of an offshore windfarm near his championship golf course in Aberdeenshire, claiming the development would spoil his view.

I have no objection to that provided he pledges to use "any legal means" to block everyone's view of him.

Surely the best place to build wind turbines is at the entrance of his huge gob, with the blasts of hot air it produces.

World class halitosis.

[Riedquat]

Good for him, even if it's just for selfish reasons.

[Superted187]

Lets put a coal fired power plant there instead. That would spoil his view and his air quality

[Kurt Barlow]

Good for him, even if it's just for selfish reasons.

It is entirely for selfish reasons and if you read the article you will see what a hypocrite this clown is.

Whatever legal means he has no chance of stopping this development - which already has the go ahead.

[Scunnered]

But he's already digging up a Site of Special Scientific Interest to make his golf course! He's also come down very hard on some people who live on neighbouring land that he wants to include in his plans. Looks like he wants one law for the rich and another for the poor.

[porca misèria]

But he's already digging up a Site of Special Scientific Interest to make his golf course! He's also come down very hard on some people who live on neighbouring land that he wants to include in his plans. Looks like he wants one law for the rich and another for the poor.

We've always had one law from the rich, and legal aid brought us another for the "poor". It's the excluded middle who (as usual) go without.

If his real intention is to block a wind farm, I doubt he'd be making such blatently nimby announcements about it. It'll be a bargaining chip for something else he wants and expects to get: I'll concede [foo] to the windfarm in exchange for [bar].

[foo] could be something as simple as some receiving station on land for power generated, and [bar] could be taking measures against uppity peasants asserting their rights. Or something.

[Riedquat]

It is entirely for selfish reasons and if you read the article you will see what a hypocrite this clown is.

Whatever legal means he has no chance of stopping this development - which already has the go ahead.

Oh, I completely agree with that assessment of him, but any attempt at stopping a windfarm is fine with me even if it comes from a complete and utter hypocrite who's happily doing all sorts of other things I despise.

[Kurt Barlow]

Oh, I completely agree with that assessment of him, but any attempt at stopping a windfarm is fine with me even if it comes from a complete and utter hypocrite who's happily doing all sorts of other things I despise.

Whats funny is he will lose as he has not a legal leg to stand on. The wind farm will get built much to his chargrin

[ccc]

As for the issues with the local farmer and his land. Trump is so stupid IMO it is incredible. Has he no idea of what sells ?

If you want a golf course to stand out from all the rest ? It needs to be unique.

You could not make up anything better than a rickety wee farm in the middle of it that refuse to give in to the big bad America millionare. FFS they make films abou this sort of thing !! With the golf course sweeping around it. You honestly cannot make up that sort of unique feature. It is the sort of thing marketing dreams are made of. Yet he is trying his all to get rid of this farm. Stupid stupid man. IMO anyway.

[Riedquat]

Whats funny is he will lose as he has not a legal leg to stand on. The wind farm will get built much to his chargrin

Why the ? Laugh at a pointless monstrosity being built just because it spites a self-centred egotist?

[Scunnered]

Jonathan Meades on Mr. Trump's activities in Aberdeen, from about 3:20 onwards. Well worth watching.

[Kurt Barlow]

Why the ? Laugh at a pointless monstrosity being built just because it spites a self-centred egotist?

Oh I don't know.

33 Megawatts

25% availability by nameplate.

72.3gwh annual production

Enough electricity for approx 24000 households

72.3 gwh less imported down the interconnector or approx 15 million m3 less of gas imported

Some alternative employment for the dwindling offshore industry

Turbine life 25 years, tower life 50-75.

[Riedquat]

Oh I don't know.

33 Megawatts

25% availability by nameplate.

72.3gwh annual production

Enough electricity for approx 24000 households

72.3 gwh less imported down the interconnector or approx 15 million m3 less of gas imported

Some alternative employment for the dwindling offshore industry

Turbine life 25 years, tower life 50-75.

0% availability sometimes, and you can't predict when. The recent very cold winters coupled with not that much wind should've been the last straw for wind farms. I do find that they stick out like a sore thumb in most of the locations they're built in (there are a few exceptions). That's why I'm very pro-nuclear. Hardly good to look at either, but at least concentrated in a small area that isn't as prominent.

[Kurt Barlow]

0% availability sometimes, and you can't predict when. The recent very cold winters coupled with not that much wind should've been the last straw for wind farms. I do find that they stick out like a sore thumb in most of the locations they're built in (there are a few exceptions). That's why I'm very pro-nuclear. Hardly good to look at either, but at least concentrated in a small area that isn't as prominent.

In the short term predictability is very accurate. +/- 3% in one hour / +/-10% 5 hours ahead. I'm well aware of wind powers limitations but even if the ground work on a dozen new nucs started today none would likely be commissioned by 2019 and the City boys are already advising Centrica to pull out of the joint ventures with EDF. In the meantime the energy gap gets wider.

Truth is the UK needs both Wind and Nuclear. Its not one or the other.

[porca misèria]

Truth is the UK needs both Wind and Nuclear. Its not one or the other.

Or, to put it in order of importance, energy saving, nuclear, and renewables. With big ANDs and no ORs.

[Kurt Barlow]

Or, to put it in order of importance, energy saving, nuclear, and renewables. With big ANDs and no ORs.

Agreed

[Riedquat]

In the short term predictability is very accurate. +/- 3% in one hour / +/-10% 5 hours ahead. I'm well aware of wind powers limitations but even if the ground work on a dozen new nucs started today none would likely be commissioned by 2019 and the City boys are already advising Centrica to pull out of the joint ventures with EDF. In the meantime the energy gap gets wider.

Truth is the UK needs both Wind and Nuclear. Its not one or the other.

Short-term I agree, for the reasons you've given, although long-term I don't see much point in keeping wind. If you're going to have a lot of nuclear you may as well have that bit of generation provided by wind provided by nuclear, once you've had enough time to get them all built, even if you can find enough completely uncontroversial sites.

[Kurt Barlow]

Short-term I agree, for the reasons you've given, although long-term I don't see much point in keeping wind. If you're going to have a lot of nuclear you may as well have that bit of generation provided by wind provided by nuclear, once you've had enough time to get them all built, even if you can find enough completely uncontroversial sites.

Windfarms good for biodiversity.

http://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2100917/offshore-wind-farms-biodiversity-researchers

Another nice piece of evidence to kick Donald Twunt in the goolies with

[MrPin]

Perhaps the wind farm might blow Donald's wig off!

[cashinmattress]

link

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."

All I can say as a Scot is....

Fvck you and your precious course Trump. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha... ad infinitum.

Leave you with this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBVTjEjyifQ

[sossij]

Excellent

[happy_renting]

If it upsets Trump, it must be good.

[Scunnered]

http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/environment/donald-trump-golf-course-hotel-axed-over-wind-farm-1-2857877

Donald Trump golf course hotel axed over wind farm

DONALD Trump today pulled the plug on any future investment on his £750 million golf resort in Aberdeenshire after the Government gave the go ahead to the “monstrous” offshore wind farm planned for the doorstep of his Menie estate in Aberdeenshire.

But he vowed to spend “whatever it takes” to prevent the 11 turbine scheme in Aberdeen Bay standing in the way offurther investments on the stretch of coast where he has created the “greatest golf course in the world.”

The billionaire tycoon declared: “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.”

[continues]

** ** **** ***.

[Riedquat]

Whoever won this one it was going to be a bad result. Pity both couldn't have somehow lost (no stupid windmills and upset Trump would've been ideal).

[porca misèria]

If it upsets Trump, it must be good.

Upsetting Trump is irrelevant, neither good nor bad. Though satisfying, given the nature of his tantrum

So, they're going to put up a bunch of offshore turbines in the North Sea. What would be a real crime would be to go to all that expense without installing underwater turbines to harness the energy of those powerful, totally reliable, twice-each-way-every-day tidal flows. Noone would be that stupid, surely?