Viking

[Bugtownboy]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3w6zld90zjo

[dan_b]

Beat me to it!
That’s a big farm - that HVDC interconnector was crucial.

[Bugtownboy]

But there’s still criticism

I just don’t get what people expect.

The interconnectors are game changers - though I accept they are a very vulnerable bit of infrastructure in the event of conflict/mischief.

Just wish they’d crack on with the Morocco project - either as a stand alone UK-Morocco initiative or via a wider European network.

[HML]

Presumably you're talking about this criticism:

"Moraig Lyall, chair of the environment and transport committee of Shetland Islands Council, said annual household bills in the islands were often more than double the UK average of £1,700 and showed no sign of falling as a result of hosting Viking.

"People look out their windows now, they see all these turbines that are generating lots and lots of energy, but they're not seeing the benefit here," she said.

"They're still sitting in their homes having to decide, can I afford to put on my heating, and so people are justifiably angry about that."

She added that islanders were also worried about Viking's impact on the landscape; the peat bog environment on which it was built; and tourism."

That seems perfectly justified to me. They are having their environment degraded and not getting any benefit from the degradation.

[Joeboy]

There should be an Octopus fanclub installed there ASAP. It begs the question why this or similar wasn't made a part of the deal in negotiations? Cui bono?

[dan_b]

That there doesn’t seem to be a local community involvement fund of some sort does sound very bad if true.

[Mart]

But there’s still criticism

I just don’t get what people expect.

The interconnectors are game changers - though I accept they are a very vulnerable bit of infrastructure in the event of conflict/mischief.

Just wish they’d crack on with the Morocco project - either as a stand alone UK-Morocco initiative or via a wider European network.

Yes, yes, yes and ........ let me see, yes.

[Mart]

The article mentions a fund, but I don't know if the amount is reasonable or not.

Like most renewable projects it will generate a "community benefit fund" but islanders say the gains will be small - about £72m over 25 years - in comparison to the revenue from the windfarm.

[nowty]

The article mentions a fund, but I don't know if the amount is reasonable or not.

Like most renewable projects it will generate a "community benefit fund" but islanders say the gains will be small - about £72m over 25 years - in comparison to the revenue from the windfarm.

Its a 443MW windfarm, so if we say its going to have a 40% CF for 25 years and say leccy is £60 / MWh (6p / kWh) the revenue over 25 years is about £2.3 billion.

[Mart]

The article mentions a fund, but I don't know if the amount is reasonable or not.

Like most renewable projects it will generate a "community benefit fund" but islanders say the gains will be small - about £72m over 25 years - in comparison to the revenue from the windfarm.

Its a 443MW windfarm, so if we say its going to have a 40% CF for 25 years and say leccy is £60 / MWh (6p / kWh) the revenue over 25 years is about £2.3 billion.

Thanks Nowty. I make that about 3%. Anyone know how that compares to 'normal'?