Views of the Northern Lights, bird safety and oil leaks.
These are just a few of the potential issues Lewis campaigners have flagged up as they fight against the installation of up to 65 “skyscraper” wind turbines off the island’s coast.
Plans for the offshore wind farm now named Spiorad na Mara are already frightening locals with their sheer size and scale.
An “industrial complex” that is as far from the quiet and peaceful location the turbines are proposed for.
One protestor Naomi Budd described the turbines as “a sea of skyscrapers that will be difficult to decommission and will forever be the landscape of the isles if they are approved – so we must not approve them.”
If plans are successful, turbines – developed by Northland Power could be among the largest in the UK, towering to 1,250 ft.
Construction could begin by 2028, and be fully operational by 2031.
Campaigners say they are taller than the Empire State Building in an area of outstanding natural beauty at Shawbost Beach.
Once operational, Spiorad na Mara will have a capacity of 900 megawatts.
The wind farm will be capable of producing enough energy to power 1.2m homes.
The site of the proposed project is 61 square miles.
Spiorad na Mara means Spirit of the Sea in Gaelic.
The site was selected by the Scottish Government as part of the Scotwind leasing process.
The proposed site would sit three miles off the Isle of Lewis coast.
It is being co-developed by Toronto-based Northland Power and Ireland-based Electricity Supply Board (ESB).
Northland Power which has a base in Glasgow is the lead partner in the development.
Project could be operational by 2031
Development started for the project in 2022, and the first phase of consultation was completed in October.
Campaigners are urgently calling on local authorities and decision-makers to prioritise the area’s “unique character, environmental integrity, and cultural heritage” and reject the plans at the earliest stage.
They say energy created by the turbines will not reduce electricity bills for locals.
Instead, they believe it will go to supplying energy elsewhere in the UK.
Ms Budd, who lives at South Shawbost, said: “I think we in Lewis have an interesting and possibly costly fight on our hands to preserve our current environment and way of life.
“Our unspoilt beaches, dark skies, diverse and thriving wildlife and unique way of life are under threat of commercial industrialisation by Northland Power, a Canadian energy company.
‘Destroy our coastal views and dark skies’
“Northland wants to put either 48 or 65 of the biggest turbines in existence a few miles off the west coast of Lewis in a commercial wind farm.
“This will not only endanger migrating and resident birds and marine mammals. But will industrialise our moorlands with the infrastructure required, destroy our coastal views and dark skies, decimate the tourist industry on which so many islanders rely, and serve only to create profit for Northland and provide cheaper electricity to England.
“Although touted as a renewable source of green energy, the truth is far from this. Wind turbines have a short life expectancy. In offshore farms such as this they run at under 60% capacity after only 10 years.
“They frequently malfunction, leak oil and other chemicals into the sea. At the end of their short life they become landfill.
“The impact of manufacturing and the fossil fuels needed to do so is not factored in when their ‘green credentials’ are put forward. ”
Images of the wind farm are no longer available to view on the wind farm website.
Petition has received more than 2,500 signatures
She continued: “At night each of the turbines will have red lights, be seen for miles, and will destroy our current wonderful glimpses of aurora and night skies.”
Residents have set up a public petition on change.org.
It has been signed by more than 2,500 people.
A Spiorad na Mara spokesman said: “At what is still the early stages of this project we recognise and appreciate the broad range of sincerely-held views we have heard.
“We do not take our responsibility to the communities in the Western Isles lightly.
“We will continue to engage proactively and constructively at every turn.”
The spokesman said it was carrying out both environmental and social impact assessments.
He added: “During our recently completed and well-attended first phase of public consultation, we heard a wide range of views and received extensive feedback.
“This feedback will be crucial in helping to shape the project, as it helps us to take the needs and interests of local communities on board and provides an opportunity to understand and address any questions or concerns.”
Spiorad na Mara’s second consultation is expected in spring 2025. Planners will consider the feedback received during Phase 1, showing what was said and what has been done in response.
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