News / Damaged wind mast sparks new row
CAMPAIGNERS against plans for Europe’s largest wind farm being built on Shetland have raised concerns after a test mast was discovered to be damaged in the past few days.
A guy rope holding the top of the test mast at South Mid Field, above Tresta, has snapped leaving the mast bent. More than a year ago a similar mast on Shetland toppled over in winds measured at 115mph.
Campaign group Sustainable Shetland say the latest damaged mast raises questions about the approach by wind farm developer Viking Energy towards planning matters, especially as planning consent for their test masts ran out in March 2008.
However Viking Energy yesterday (Monday) said that they inspect their masts on a regular basis and the South Mid Field mast had last been checked on 2 February.
Project co-ordinator Allan Wishart said that within one hour of becoming aware of the damage they had sent workmen to the site to carry out temporary repairs, and informed the suppliers who were “on their way” to replace the damaged section.
“We are erecting warning signs in the area and would ask that anyone who might be walking around South Mid Field to exercise care and avoid the site until the repairs have been made,” Mr Wishart said.
He added that he wished Sustainable Shetland had raised the alarm about the damaged mast immediately they found out about it on Friday last week.
“Viking Energy takes the health and safety concerns associated with any part of our development extremely seriously. With that in mind, we are disappointed that Sustainable Shetland has known about this wire failure for at least three days and had not told us about it so we could take appropriate action sooner.
“Whatever our differences, we would hope people would speak to us as soon as they become aware of a problem that might give cause for concern.”
However Sustainable Shetland chairman Billy Fox said the group believed the damage had been caused far earlier and believed the company had simply failed to act.
“Two of our members first noticed something odd about the mast over a week ago and it was only on inspecting it closely last Friday they found the top most guy wire had come away from its mooring foundation.
“That mooring was buried in the snow so we suspect it had been like that for quite some time, and therefore quite reasonably assumed Viking Energy already knew about this. We are surprised to hear that they inspected the mast less than two weeks ago.
“When the Grutifield mast collapsed in October 2008 they did not inform anyone for several days after they were questioned about it,” he said.
The group is currently objecting to five new test masts which Viking Energy wish to erect at Mid Kames; Scar Quilse, in Voe; Scalla Field, Weisdale; and at Runn Hill and Flamister, in Nesting.
Mr Fox said: “We are not impressed with Viking Energy’s record on planning so far. They have not renewed planning permission when it ran out almost two years ago and they have not removed the anchor foundations of the two test masts they have taken away, even though that is a planning condition.”
Shetland Islands Council’s planning board will consider the application for the new test masts in April. Viking Energy have been invited to renew planning consent for the South Mid Field mast.
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