Ministers back plans for UK's biggest offshore wind farm

PLANS to build Britain’s biggest offshore wind farm on the south-west coast of Scotland were passed by ministers yesterday, paving the way for a further number of renewable energy projects being considered by the Executive.

Robin Rigg wind farm, to be built on sandbanks in the Solway Firth, will have 60 wind turbine generators and produce enough electricity to supply 180,000 houses . The proposals, by two energy companies, have angered local campaigners as well as fishing and yachting groups.

Announcing the decision to give the project the green light, Lewis Macdonald, the deputy enterprise minister, said it proved the Executive’s commitment to the environment and secured Scotland’s place as a key player in the development of the renewables sector in Europe.

He said: "The wind farm has the potential to cut our future carbon emissions through renewable energy and contribute significantly to the Scottish Climate Change Programme.

In an attempt to assuage the concerns of campaigners and locals opposed to the development, he said that conditions attached to the consent provided strict standards to "safeguard our natural heritage during and beyond the lifespan of the power station".

Alasdair Morgan, the SNP MSP for Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, welcomed the decision. He rejected claims by anti-wind farm groups that it would be a blight on the landscape and said: "A successful Robin Rigg project will have substantial benefits and will serve as the starting point for significantly greater development of all types of renewable energy, not just energy that comes from wind farms.

"Potential for significant job benefits exists. Such benefits will arise not only from one project, but from Galloway becoming Scotland’s centre for clean and green energy."

Mr Morgan added: "Going ahead with the Robin Rigg project will not mean covering every hill in Galloway and every inch of coastal water with turbines. However, not going ahead with the project would have meant missing the bus on renewable energy, which would have been a severe blow to the economy of the south-west."

As legislation is required, a special Holyrood committee has been set up to examine the Robin Rigg Wind Farm Bill, which has cleared the first stage of its journey through parliament.

MSPs are expected to carry out detailed scrutiny of the bill after the election.

Scottish Natural Heritage, one of Scotland’s leading conservation bodies, published a report this week warning that more research is needed into the environmental impact of renewable technology on marine life.