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22 April 2008 - The Scottish government has refused consent for plans by Lewis Windpower to build a 181-turbine wind farm in the Western Isles because it is not in line with European environmental directives.
According to Thomson Financial, Scottish Energy minister Jim Mather said that the 650 MW Lewis wind farm, being developed by a joint venture of AMEC and British Energy Group, would have a 'serious impact' on the Lewis Peatlands Special Protection Area, which is designated under the European Commission's Birds Directive and protected under the EC Habitats Directive.
'European legislation requires a specific procedure to be followed when proposals which could potentially affect Special Protection Areas come forward. I considered all the relevant issues and concluded it would not be possible to approve this application,' said Mather.
'The Lewis Wind Farm would have significant adverse impacts on the Lewis Peatlands Special Protection Area, which is designated due to its high value for rare and endangered birds,' he added.
Lewis Windpower said that the decision 'represents a huge missed opportunity' for renewable projects in Scotland and its fight to reduce carbon emissions.
'Lewis Wind Power is bitterly disappointed by the Scottish Government's decision to reject our proposal for a wind farm on Lewis,' the company said, having worked on the project for over six years. 'We will be considering the Government's response in detail before deciding on our next move,' it said.
Mather said that reneweable energy sources on the Western Isles need to be tapped into, but onshore wind would be the more likely option.
'This decision [on Lewis Windpower] does not mean that there cannot be onshore wind farms in the Western Isles. I strongly believe the vast renewables potential needs to be exploited to ensure that the opportunities and benefits of new development can be shared across the country in an equitable fashion.'
The Scottish government has set a target to produce 31 per cent of electricity demand from renewables by 2011, and 50 per cent by 2020.
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