Skye windfarm inquiry reveals almost 'no long-term jobs'

The Herald Scotland

6 hours ago

Film-maker Thor Klein, who moved from Germany to Skye five years ago and attended the week of hearings as a member of the Skye Windfarm Information Group (SWIG), said that there were four points that emerged strongly for him from the week of attending the inquiry.
'Firstly, they have committed to nothing specific in terms of community benefits, and even the community benefits they were supposed to pay in the past for Ben Aketil were not fully paid.'
At the inquiry, held before Scottish Government reporter, Skye businesswoman, Faye Macleod, pointed out that for the Ben Aketil windfarm in recent years community benefit expectations have not been met.
"The amount paid has not met £2000 per megawatt of installed output, which is disappointing. In fact, the year ending December 2020, £1000 pounds was paid. That was £2.5 million pounds of profit was made. So that year is disappointing.'
This also falls far short of the £5000 per MW standard that has been established since the development of Ben Aketil, which is not yet met by many windfarms.
The existing Ben Aketil wind farm, of 12 turbines, paid £51 million in profits to overseas shareholders whilst giving local communities just over £40,000 a year.
Ms Macleod, said: "Clearly, there is economic impact from the Ben Aketil windfarm. But the question is, how does that relate to the local economy, and it is the net economic impact on the local economy, that we are looking at?... For whom does this economy work? Does it work on the current model for the developer? Would the local community consider it works?"
She also questioned whether the model offered "sufficient to compensate the island for its loss".
Graeme Blackett, managing director of BIGGAR Economics, representing the developer, Nadara, pointed out that the Ben Aketil windfarm has so far paid out £900,000 in community benefits, until January last year.
He said that the reason many windfarms are not choosing to increase the payments in line with new standards is because "clearly that's a big part of the cost base for a developer and the decision will have been made at the time the project was given the go ahead, based on a stream of commitments going forward".
Mr Klein also pointed out the absence of a clear transport plan for the giant windfarm parts. 'Second there is a lack in clarity in how they actually want to transport stuff from A to B. The only thing that's for sure is that they will use only the road,' he said.
The problem of how the transporting of blades and turbine parts across the island might affect the already congested road system has been highlighted by residents.
SWIG, for instance, have argued that 'the years of traffic and transport chaos caused during construction through dozens of abnormal load convoys and thousands of HGVs would seriously damage Skye and Raasay's economies and endanger life if they blocked the only road connecting the north of Skye with Broadford Hospital'.
'Thirdly there are no long-term jobs," he said. "I think that's that's pretty clear. There are no jobs in maintaining the windfarm.
'It was very revealing,' he said. 'We found out that there's only 1.4 jobs involved once the farm is finished construction. Then yesterday, it was mentioned that the turbines will come from Germany - so it's not that they in any way manufactured in the UK. They come from abroad.'
Lena (Image: Vicky Allan)
Mr Blackett said: 'In this particular project, we are talking about 20 job years in Skye during the construction period."
He noted: 'I don't think there is any disagreement about the challenges in the Skye economy. Where we differ is what to do about it. I guess if you see the economy as a fixed thing, it has no more room for anything else. But that's not how economies work. They're dynamic systems. So it's not a good economic strategy to say, well we can't do anymore. Let's pass up opportunities.
'My evidence is that what you require to deal with such challenges is good quality jobs in highly productive sectors, and that's what this project contributes.'
Finally, Mr Klein noted that the inquiry revealed a 'lack of planning from the government's side'.
'There's no clear plan, oversight over all the projects that are happening on Skye and elsewhere. Neither do the different applicants talk to each other, nor does the government in any way coordinate this whole thing.
'They just leave it to the Highland Council. That became pretty clear in a lot of different a lot of different moments during the week and that's why we are here doing this inquiry, because there's a lack of oversight. There's no planning.'
READ MORE:
David Bell, representing the developer, Nadara, said: "What may or may not happen with relation to other applications shouldn't have a bearing on this determination."
He noted that the windfarm is a repowering of an existing site and there are already turbines in the location.
He also said: "200m high turbines, while it may be new for Skye is not new for Scotland. It's not a new matter."
He noted that two developments with turbines at 200m, Kype Muir in South Lanarkshire and Longhill Burn in West Lothian, already exist in Scotland and seven more farms of turbines that size are also consented.
He also pointed out that the UK Climate Change Committee's Seventh Carbon Budget report states that the recommended pathway "will require recent annual installation rates to triple" in the coming decade, making "installation rates comparable to the annual roll-out rates previously sustained in the mid-2010s."
He referred to the development as relatively "modest" compared to many of the other windfarm projects coming forward in Scotland.
A representative for the Highland council, James Findlay, however, noted that the council did not consider the proposal "modest".
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'The Ben Aketil application is currently under consideration therefore it would not be appropriate for Scottish Ministers to comment.
This week's public inquiry is concluded, but two other hearings, on ornithology and conditions, are set to take place in the coming months. A decision will not happen until later this year.