540 MW Shetland Islands Wind Farm Could be Closed due to Disappearance of Local Bird Populations
24 July 2009 | Wind Power | No Comments
Alternative Energy Sources represent the energetic future of our planet. People realized this, so they try to create more and more wind farms or solar power plants, to produce electricity from the sun or wind. Few months ago was opened a 540 MW wind farm in the Shetland Islands but now it faces several problems that could close it.
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds has announced its objection to this project, saying that wind turbines from this wind farm affect seriously bird populations.”Significant numbers of nationally important populations of whimbrels, red throated divers, golden plovers and merlins are likely to be displaced or killed by some of the turbines. Several of these species are given EU protected status.” – Treehugger
The wind farm from Shetland Islands is very large, has a capacity of 150 turbines positioned on 250 hectares area, in the center of Shetland. Construction costs of this wind farm reached 800 million pounds and the 1st year earnings could reach 38 million pounds.Even if these birds are affected by wind turbines and the noise made, I think they should continue to work, to maintain the electricity supply.For the birds affected by this wind farm,engineers should find a solution that can allow a continued operation of the farm and also the protection of bird species.
Tags: 150 turbines, 540 MW wind farm, alternative energy sources, electricity supply, produce electricity, protection of bird species, Protection of Birds, Shetland Islands, wind, wind farm affect, wind power, Wind Powered, wind turbines, wind turbines noise