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UK ministry lifts south Scotland wind farm ban

Posted on: Monday, 18 July 2005, 15:49 CDT

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's ministry of defense has lifted a ban on several wind farm projects in southern Scotland after allaying fears that they could interfere with a seismic station monitoring a ban on nuclear tests.

The ministry of defense (MOD) had blocked all wind farms planned within 80 km (50 miles) of the Eskdalemuir seismic array site which monitors the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

It agreed to lift the ban after a study by the University of Keele showed if turbines were built at least 17.5 km from the array, they would not interfere with its functions.

The government is relying on an expansion of wind farms, especially in Scotland, to meet its target of supplying 10 percent of the country's electricity from green sources by 2010.

Elsewhere, the MOD continues to block a number of wind power projects as it fears their turbines could interfere with radar equipment.

The British Wind Energy Association said flight trials have begun to test technology which would resolve fears that the rapidly rotating turbines could create false images on a radar screen as they can mimic an aircraft.

"This is the first step toward developing a technology that can tackle the interaction of wind turbines and radar which currently leads to the sterilization of a significant number of potential wind farm sites," said Chris Tomlinson, head of onshore wind at the BWEA.

Source: REUTERS

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