Edinburgh: Plans by Lewis Windpower for a wind farm at Barvas Moor in Lewis have been refused consent on the grounds of incompatibility with European law, announced the Scottish Government today.
The proposed 181 turbine Lewis Wind Farm would have a serious impact on the Lewis Peatlands Special Protection Area, which is designated under the EC Birds Directive and protected under the EC Habitats Directive.
The Scottish Government says it has already pledged to find a way to help the Western Isles share in the economic and community benefits of renewable energy, in harmony with environmental obligations.
Electricity generated by renewable sources (excluding from hydro natural flow) in Scotland increased by 46 per cent in 2005-06.
Picture: Crown copyright 2008
The Scottish Government has set a target to produce 31 per cent of electricity demand from renewable sources by 2011, and 50 per cent by 2020
Lewis Windpower is a consortium of AMEC and British Energy. The consortium applied in October 2004 to construct and operate 234 wind turbines with a generating capacity of 702 Megawatts at Barvas Moor and other locations in north Lewis, on land owned by the Stornoway Trust and the Galson and Barvas Estates.
In December 2006, Lewis Windpower amended the application which reduced the number of turbines to 181, and the generating capacity to 651 Megawatts.
The Lewis Peatlands Special Protection Area (SPA) is designated under the EC Birds Directive, the designation relating to the protection of golden eagle, merlin, red throated diver, black throated diver, golden plover, dunlin and greenshank.
Energy Minister Jim Mather said:
"I have considered this application very carefully. I have listened to representations from the applicant, taken the views of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and considered the 10,924 objections and 98 letters of support. I visited Stornoway last month and heard at first hand a range of deeply held views. I have also taken ecological advice, and advice from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Scottish Natural Heritage.
"We have already determined thirteen projects, including approval for the second and third largest wind farms in Scotland. There is 6.4 Gigawatts of renewable development either under construction or in existing or planned applications, well over twice the current installed renewables capacity of 2.8 Gigawatts.
"Even allowing for refusals we are well on the way to meeting our ambitious target to generate 50 per cent of Scotland's electricity demand from renewables by 2020. And emerging technologies will play their part - we are investing in the full range of clean, green energy, from wave and tide to biomass.