Scout Moor Wind Farm Explained

Scout Moor Wind Farm
Coordinates:53.6594°N -2.2519°W
Country:England, United Kingdom
Location:Scout Moor, Hail Storm Hill, and Knowle Moor, North West England
Status:O
Construction Began:January 2007
Commissioned:25 September 2008
Cost:£50 million
Owner:Peel Wind Power Ltd
Ps Units Operational:26
Ps Units Manu Model:Nordex

Nordex N80 2.5 MW

Wind Hub Height:600NaN0
Wind Rotor Diameter:800NaN0
Ps Site Elevation:15520NaN0
Ps Site Area:13470NaN0
Ps Electrical Capacity:65 MW
Ps Electrical Cap Fac:29%
Ps Annual Generation:165.6 GWh

Scout Moor Wind Farm is the second largest onshore wind farm in England. The wind farm, which was built for Peel Wind Power Ltd, produces electricity from 26 Nordex N80 wind turbines. It has a total nameplate capacity of 65 MW of electricity, providing 154,000 MW·h per year;[1] enough to serve the average needs of 40,000 homes. The site occupies 1347acres of open moorland between Edenfield, Rawtenstall and Rochdale,[2] and is split between the Metropolitan Borough of Rochdale in northern Greater Manchester and the Borough of Rossendale in south-eastern Lancashire. The turbines are visible from as far away as south Manchester, 15- away.[3]

A protest group was formed to resist the proposed construction, and attracted support from the botanist and environmental campaigner David Bellamy. Despite the opposition, planning permission was granted in 2005 and construction began in 2007. Although work on the project was hampered by harsh weather, difficult terrain, and previous mining activity, the wind farm was officially opened on 25 September 2008 after "years of controversy", at a cost of £50 million.

In 2012 Peel Energy sold its 50% share in the facility to Munich Re's asset management division MEAG. The other 50% holding was also purchased by MEAG from HgCapital Renewable Power Partners.[4]

Geography

Scout Moor is an upland moor of peat bog and heather in the South Pennines,[3] reaching a maximum elevation of 1552feet at its peak, Top of Leach. The underlying geology – a mixture of hard rock and soft shales – broadly belongs to the Lower Coal Measures. The rock and shales weather at different rates, giving the area a landscape of "steep escarpments separated by sloping shelves", although the main dome of the moor is flat and rounded.[5] The moorland covers an area of about,[6] of which less than, about 2%, is occupied by the wind farm.[7]

Scout Moor Quarry, a 250acres open-pit mine in Edenfield, is used for the extraction of gritstone and sandstone, and formerly had its own railway line.[8] The eastern fringe of Scout Moor Wind Farm extends to Hail Storm Hill (also known as Cowpe Moss), one of the 180 Marilyns of England.[9] The presence of coal under Scout Moor led to extensive and unrecorded shallow coal mining in the area during the 18th and 19th centuries. Adits, shafts and coal seams from that period mark the landscape.[10]

History

One meaning of scout is a long ridge of rock, appearing to "shoot out" horizontally. The word is thought to be a corruption of the Old English sceot, meaning "shot" or "to shoot", suggesting Anglo-Saxon settlement in the locality at a very ancient time.[11]

Although the UK Government has set a target of 10% for the proportion of the UK's electricity produced by renewable energy by 2010,[12] wind power in the UK has a long history of controversy, with an average approval rate for planning permission of only 28% for onshore wind farms.[13] Scout Moor was first identified as an excellent site for a wind farm in 2001.[14] Peel Holdings commissioned market research consultants MORI to undertake a telephone poll over seventeen days in 2002, soliciting the opinions of residents in Bury, Rossendale and Rochdale about wind farms in general and Scout Moor in particular. The results showed that 88% of respondents thought wind farms were a very or fairly good idea, 72% thought the Scout Moor project was a very or fairly good idea, and 63% stated wind power as the preferred energy source.[15]

The proposal to build a wind farm, in a joint venture between United Utilities and Peel Holdings, was announced in 2003. Shortly afterwards a pressure group, The Friends of Scout and Knowle Moor, was formed, and on 9 September 2003 representatives of the group attended a meeting of the Metropolitan Borough of Bury's, Ramsbottom and Tottington Area Board to oppose the plans. At the meeting, the spokesperson for the group said that, although they supported the use of alternative energy, they felt that this was the wrong area. Among the objections were that the scheme was contrary to the Unitary Development Plan and the Green Belt, and would adversely affect common land, open countryside and areas of ecological importance and special landscape value. The group also considered that the proposed development would be out of scale with the landscape, adversely affecting peat, water courses and wildlife, and would have a seriously detrimental visual impact, as well as causing a noise nuisance.[16]

The second presentation was given by a representative of Scout Moor Wind Farm, who argued the need for Britain to produce clean green power without harmful emissions, to counter the increasing dangers of global warming. He went on to say that the UK has fewer wind farms than other major industrial countries in Europe, even though it is a windier country, and that North West England has a particularly poor record, with only 1.3% of electricity generated from renewable energy. Following this meeting the campaign to oppose the proposal gathered momentum, and in November 2003 a protest was held on the moor, led by environmental campaigner Professor David Bellamy.[17]

Although Bury Metropolitan Borough Council supported the proposal, objections were raised by Lancashire County Council, Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council and Rossendale Borough Council, and a public enquiry was held in November and December 2004. The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry gave formal consent to the application for the development of the wind farm in May 2005, by which time United Utilities had sold their share in the project and ended their involvement.[18] [19] A number of conditions were imposed:

On 20 April 2006, Janet Anderson (Member of Parliament for Rossendale and Darwen) asked Margaret Beckett, then Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the development would meet the provisions of the Commons Bill regarding the protection of and public access to common land. The reply from Jim Knight, (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Rural Affairs, Landscape and Biodiversity) was that "[t]hese applications are made under section 147 of the Inclosure Act 1845. Consideration is given under these provision to the effect of the exchange on the general public's legal right of access over the land. The future provisions in the Commons Bill are not relevant."[20]

Construction

The detailed design for the project was completed during summer 2006 and construction began in January 2007.[21] The first task was to build a stable access road, but the moor was covered in a layer of peat with a low load-bearing capacity. The whole area had also been subjected to extensive coal mining during the 19th and early 20th centuries, so there was a potential for subsidence. To address these problems, the mining voids were grouted and a floating road was constructed, using a complex system of geotextiles and geogrids to prevent the road from sinking.[22] This was achieved by laying a crushed-gravel base, reinforced with polyester and polypropylene grids, to bridge any potential mine voids and ensure that the weak shear strength of the subsoil was exceeded by the base course material.[23] The wind turbines arrived at Scout Moor in parts, transported by large goods vehicles along the M66 motorway to Edenfield as part of a 76-day-long convoy of delivery.[24]

The weather constrained the wind farm's construction for the teams from contractor McNicholas and German turbine supplier Nordex. During the final stages, the project manager for McNicholas was quoted as saying:The wind farm, which stretches across nearly 2miles of open moorland between Edenfield, Rawtenstall and Rochdale,[3] was officially opened on 25 September 2008.[25] [26] and was at that time the largest onshore wind farm in England.[27] [28] As of 26 August 2008, 21 of 26 turbines had been commissioned and 4,000 MW·h of electricity had been exported to the National Grid.[29] The turbines are visible from south Manchester, away, and are expected to produce enough electricity to meet the needs of 40,000 average homes.[30] Scout Moor has the capacity to produce a total of 65 MW,[31] compared with the 90 MW capacity of Kentish Flats, the United Kingdom's largest offshore wind farm.[32] The total cost of the Scout Moor project was £50 million,[33] but Peel Holdings expect the turbines to be in operation for at least 25 years.[34] Since its opening, the wind farm "has become a real tourist attraction";[35] a calendar showing photographs of the wind farm's construction has been featured in local news stories.[36]

Future plans

Over the lifetime of the wind farm, Peel Holdings' energy subsidiary, Peel Wind Power Ltd, will provide up to £500,000 to help landowners create biodiverse areas on the land surrounding the moor.[37] A prime target habitat envisaged to be enhanced and re-created under the Habitat Enhancement Plan is upland blanket bog and important habitats for skylarks and wading birds on the moorland fringe. To receive funding, landowners within an identified area will need to apply to a panel made up of representatives from Peel, the local authorities and independent ecological experts. This panel will meet regularly throughout the year.[38]

Peel Wind Power are members of RenewableUK and state in their member's profile that they are actively seeking new opportunities in the renewable energy sector.[39] In November 2008, the company announced a two-year agreement to look at developing wind farms on land owned by UK Coal. If the 14 sites encompassed by the agreement were successfully developed, they would have the potential for 54 wind turbines generating up to 133 megawatts of power. Peel Energy director Steven Underwood said: "This agreement is an important step for Peel Energy, significantly expanding its onshore pipeline and gaining access to some of the UK's best potential wind farm locations." The Peel group holds a 28% stake in UK Coal.[40]

At a private meeting held in May 2007 between developers, EnergieKontor UK, and invited local councillors, plans were put forward for another large wind farm consisting of 24 turbines on the moors above nearby Haslingden, spanning Thirteen Stone Hill and Oswaldtwistle Moor. Following the meeting Catherine Pilling, a Rossendale Liberal Democrat councillor, expressed her view that the natural beauty of the Rossendale Valley was under threat as it was increasingly being targeted by wind farm developers. "Our party is very much in favour of renewable energy," she said, "but Rossendale is an area of outstanding beauty, and you have to ask: Would they be building a similar thing in the Lake District?" Rossendale Borough Council leader Duncan Ruddick representing the electoral ward of Worsley in Rossendale, the proposed site of the new wind farm, said he was against wind farms and would be campaigning against it and speaking at the Development Control committee when it came. The leader of the Labour local councillors was also opposed to the plan, saying that he was concerned about the size of the turbines and that the visual impact on the "beautiful West Pennine Moors" would be devastating.[41] Planning permission for the development was granted by Hyndburn Council in March 2010.[42]

In August 2015 planning permission was granted by Rossendale Borough Council's development control committee to add a further 14 turbines at Scout Moor to create what is believed would be England's largest onshore wind farm,[43] but the plans drew many objections from residents and two petitions were launched by local MPs opposing the scheme. In 2017 The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Sajid Javid MP overruled Rossendale council's decision but said he was "minded to approve" two additional turbines in Rochdale with a maximum height of 115 metres, subject to conditions, which would potentially enlarge Scout Moor to 28 turbines.[44]

Specifications

Specifications
ManufacturerNordex
ModelN80
Tower height60m (200feet)
Blade length40m (130feet)
Total maximum height100m (300feet)
Turbine weight250t[45]
Maximum turbine effect2.5MW[46]
Total nameplate capacity (maximum output)
Electricity generated per annum154000lk=onNaNlk=on
Capacity factor27%
Total carbon dioxide displaced per annum
Total sulphur dioxide displaced per annum
Total nitrogen oxides displaced per annum

Capacity factor

See main article: Wind power. As the figures given in the table above were published before the turbines had been operational for a full year they are projected rather than recorded figures. Wind speed is not constant, therefore a wind farm's annual energy production never achieves the sum of the generator nameplate ratings multiplied by the total hours in a year. The ratio of actual productivity in a year to this theoretical maximum is called the capacity factor. Typical capacity factors are 20–40%, with values at the upper end of the range achieved on particularly favourable sites.[47] [48] The expected capacity factor for Scout Moor Wind Farm, calculated from the company's projected figures, is 27%. The actual capacity factor calculated from data published by OFGEM for January 2012 to December 2014 (three years of data) was 29.08%.[49]

See also

References

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. average output 17.6 MWe, a capacity factor of 27%
  2. Web site: Lancashire County Council External Overview and Scrutiny Committee Minutes (Word Document). 6 January 2005. 10 December 2008.
  3. News: Work begins on £50million windfarm. 1 February 2007 . 1 November 2008. Manchester Evening News. McMullan. Dan. M.E.N. Media.
  4. News: United Kingdom : HgCAPITAL Sells Its Operating 102MW UK Wind Portfolio to MUNICH RE. https://web.archive.org/web/20150924153910/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-299684183.html. dead. 24 September 2015. Anon. 14 August 2012. Mena Report. Al Bawaba (Middle East) Ltd. 2 January 2015.
  5. Sellers (1991) p. 12.
  6. Web site: Report to the Cabinet Member for Urban and Rural Regeneration . Lancashire County Council . DOC . 3 December 2008.
  7. Web site: Introduction . Environmental Statement . West Coast Energy . DOC . 3 December 2008.
  8. Web site: Joint Lancashire Minerals and Waste Development Framework; Strategic Minerals Issues. Joint Advisory Committee for Strategic Planning. November 2007. 2 November 2008. 60. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090205112023/http://www.lancashire.gov.uk/environment/lmwlp/pdf/consultation/CSD043.pdf. 5 February 2009.
  9. Web site: Region 36 Lancashire, Cheshire and Southern Pennines. Hewitt. Dave. bubl.ac.uk. 1997. 3 November 2008. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090203115408/http://bubl.ac.uk/org/tacit/tables/england/marreg36.htm. 3 February 2009.
  10. Web site: Scout Moor Windfarm — Geotechnical Services. scottwilson.com . 3 November 2008 . Scott Wilson Group . Scott Wilson Group .
  11. Chetham Society (1856) p. 260.
  12. Web site: Renewable Energy. Department for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. 18 December 2008. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20081218135839/http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/energy/sources/renewables/index.html. 18 December 2008.
  13. Web site: Poor performance leaves Government renewable energy target in limbo. Anon. 2 March 2007. BWEA News. BWEA. 12 December 2008.
  14. Web site: Scout Moor Wind Farm Official Launch . Peel Energy . 1 November 2008 . 19 September 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140112145838/http://www.peelenergy.co.uk/news-archive-2008/scout-moor-wind-farm-official-launch- . 12 January 2014 .
  15. Web site: 7 out of 10 say YES to Scout Moor Windfarm . Anon. Scout Moor Wind Farm web site. Peel Wind Power Ltd. 14 December 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080517004355/http://www.scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk/mori.html . 17 May 2008. dead.
  16. Web site: Metropolitan Borough of Bury: Ramsbottom and Tottington Area Board minutes, Tuesday 9th September 2003. 1 November 2008. Bury Metropolitan Borough Council. 9 September 2003. Bury Metropolitan Borough Council website. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20090205125931/http://burydem.bury.gov.uk/aksbury/users/public/admin/kab12.pl?cmte=RTA&meet=5&arc=71. 5 February 2009.
  17. News: Bellamy joins moor wind farm protest. 1 November 2008 . M.E.N. Media. 29 October 2003 . Heywood Advertiser. Wood. Frank.
  18. News: Power giants pull out of windfarm bid. Anon. 25 April 2005. Manchester Evening News. M.E.N. Media. 21 February 2015.
  19. News: Moors' windfarm gets green light . 25 May 2005. BBC News. 13 December 2008.
  20. Web site: Hansard 20 Apr 2006 : Column 751W—continued: Scout Moor Windfarm. House of Commons publications. 20 April 2006 . 2 December 2008.
  21. Web site: Project update: May 2005 – September 2006 . scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk. Peel Group. Peel Group. 3 November 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080610101750/http://www.scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk/news.html . 10 June 2008. dead.
  22. Web site: News: Work begins on £10.5 million contract at Scout Moor wind farm. McNicholas Construction (Holdings) Ltd. 3 November 2008. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20071201204314/http://www.mcnicholas.co.uk/index.php?q=work-begins-on-wind-farm. 1 December 2007.
  23. Web site: NUAE Geosynthetics Ltd. News: Project Scout Moor Wind farm. NUAE . 2 November 2008 . May 2007.
  24. News: Scout Moor turbine arrives. M.E.N. Media . 1 November 2008 . 23 November 2007 . Manchester Evening News.
  25. Web site: Scout Moor Wind Farm gets official switch on. 11 January 2008 . Rochdale Online. 25 September 2008 . Rochdale Online website. Harwood. Jan.
  26. News: Scout Moor Wind Farm ready for official switch on . Korn . Helen . 23 September 2008 . Lancashire Telegraph . Newsquest Media Group . 21 September 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090201195029/http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/rossendale/3695780.Scout_Moor_Wind_Farm_ready_for_official_switch_on/ . 1 February 2009 .
  27. Web site: BBC Manchester –Manchester Places –Scout Moor Wind Farm. 1 November 2008 . BBC. Taylor. Paul J.
  28. Web site: Harvest time at the wind farm. 21 February 2015 . M.E.N. Media. 19 April 2010 . Manchester Evening News.
  29. Web site: Project update. Anon. Peel Wind Power Ltd. 6 December 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080610101750/http://www.scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk/news.html . 10 June 2008. dead.
  30. Web site: Wind farm opens on Scout Moor. theboltonnews.co.uk. 25 September 2008 . 1 November 2008.
  31. Web site: Scout Moor Wind Farm Key Facts . scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk. Peel Group. Peel Group. 3 November 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080610151634/http://www.scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk/keyfacts.html . 10 June 2008. dead.
  32. Web site: BWEA Briefing Sheet: Offshore Wind. British Wind Energy Association . 2 December 2008.
  33. News: Giant wind farm officially opens . 25 September 2008 . 2 November 2008. BBC News.
  34. News: Wind farm suffers blow. 12 November 2008. Manchester Evening News. M.E.N. Media. 13 December 2008. Taylor. Paul R. 13 November 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121113105222/http://menmedia.co.uk/manchestereveningnews/news/s/1079118_wind_farm_suffers_blow. dead.
  35. Web site: Wind farm is in the frame. Bury Times. 25 April 2012. 28 November 2008.
  36. Web site: Ramsbottom man produces Scout Moor wind farm calendar. 10 November 2008. 12 December 2008. Alex. Willmott . Lancashire Telegraph.
  37. News: Moor the merrier. Poole. Sarah. 2 October 2008. Bury Times. Newsquest Media Group. 13 December 2008. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160406092844/http://www.burytimes.co.uk/news/3721217.moor_the_merrier/%C2%A3500%2C000/. 6 April 2016.
  38. Web site: Ecological and Habitat Improvement Work. Anon. Scout moor Wind Farm official web site. Peel Wind Power Ltd. 13 December 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080610151627/http://www.scoutmoorwindfarm.co.uk/ecological.html . 10 June 2008. dead.
  39. Web site: Company Directory; Peel Wind Power Ltd. RenewableUK. 2 August 2010.
  40. News: Peel in wind farm deal with UK Coal . 13 November 2008. Manchester Evening News. M.E.N. Media. 13 December 2008. Feddy. Kevin.
  41. News: Valley to become windfarm alley?. 11 January 2008 . M.E.N. Media. 25 May 2007. Rossendale Free Press.
  42. News: Oswaldtwistle Moor wind farm approved by councillors. Cruces. Emma. 3 March 2010. The Citizen. Newsquest Media Group. 16 December 2010.
  43. Web site: Scout Moor: 'Largest onshore wind farm' bid approved . . 1 September 2015 . www.bbc.co.uk/news . BBC . 29 August 2016.
  44. News: Green. Charlotte. Government reaches verdict on Scout Moor wind farm expansion. 24 August 2017. Rossendale Free Press. MEN Media group. 7 July 2017.
  45. Web site: Scout Moor Wind Farm. BBC News . 1 November 2008 . 25 September 2008.
  46. Web site: Nordex N80 (2.5 Megawatt). nordex-online.com. Nordex. Nordex. 4 November 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081117181208/http://www.nordex-online.com/en/products-services/wind-turbines/n80-25-mw.html . 17 November 2008.
  47. Web site: How Does A Wind Turbine's Energy Production Differ from Its Power Production?. awea.org. 1998. American Wind Energy Association. American Wind Energy Association. https://web.archive.org/web/20080313142528/http://www.awea.org/faq/basicen.html . 13 March 2008. dead. Retrieved 19 December 2008.
  48. Web site: Wind Power: Capacity Factor, Intermittency, and what happens when the wind doesn't blow? . ceere.org . Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20081001205145/http://www.ceere.org/rerl/about_wind/RERL_Fact_Sheet_2a_Capacity_Factor.pdf . 1 October 2008 . Retrieved 19 December 2008.
  49. Web site: 2015-09-10. Variable Pitch : Output of Scout Moor Wind Farm. 2021-11-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20150910145213/http://www.variablepitch.co.uk/stations/580/output/. 10 September 2015.