Campaigners have warned that building England’s largest onshore wind farm on protected peatland would be “catastrophic for carbon storage, wildlife and flood risk”.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/14078952

Campaigners have warned that building England’s largest onshore wind farm on protected peatland would be “catastrophic for carbon storage, wildlife and flood risk”. Saudi-backed developer World Wide Renewable Energy Global Ltd wants to construct the farm on more than 2,300 hectares at Walshaw Moor, between Hebden Bridge and Haworth.

Consisting of up to 65 wind turbines, it would be capable of generating up to 302MW of energy.

The developer said last September that it would establish a £75m community benefit fund and also pledged to end grouse shooting if it was granted planning permission.

However, campaigners say it would impact endangered birds, like curlew, lapwing, skylark and merlin, and exacerbate already serious local flooding.

The huge development would need 22 miles of access roads and 160 tonnes of reinforced concrete for each of the gigantic turbines.

At 200m tall (655ft), the turbines would be 20m higher than London’s 41-storey Gherkin building.

Campaigners say turbine construction and the associated infrastructure will affect hydrology, causing peatlands to dry out to such an extent that they will become a net emitter of carbon rather than a carbon sink.

  • Luvs2Spuj@lemmy.worldEnglish
    62·
    4 months ago

    Normally this kind of NIMBYism for turbines is misplaced, but I am inclined to agree here. I don’t have time to look into all the arguments, but wanted to at least say this much.

    • ᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴏʀ 帝@feddit.ukOPEnglish
      4·
      4 months ago

      It’s a very complex and sensitive ecosystem that is already suffering badly due to grouse shooting (they install drainage and conduct burns to change the vegetation) and all the infrastructure needed is certainly not going to help restore it and may make the situation worse. Having the gall to offer to stop grouse shooting if the plans were greenlit is pretty cheeky too.

  • frazorth@feddit.ukEnglish
    2·
    4 months ago

    I’m interested how this will dry out the area due to increased drainage yet also increase flooding.

    I’m sure this is bad, I can’t think of a reason Saudis would build something like this except to be pricks but the piece seems a little mixed with it’s message.

    • ᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴏʀ 帝@feddit.ukOPEnglish
      4·
      4 months ago

      I’m interested how this will dry out the area due to increased drainage yet also increase flooding.

      The moors contain large peat bogs that soak up vast amounts of water and release it slowly into the catchment area. If you add drainage you dry the moors out (which has led to a lot of fires over the last few years) and increased the speed of runoff.

      This area has been of specific concerns over recent years because it is upstream of Hebden Bridge which has suffered from heavy flooding recently and a lot of the blame was pinned on the land management of the moors, which has been drained and burned to make it more suitable for grouse shooting.

      I’m sure this is bad, I can’t think of a reason Saudis would build something like this except to be pricks

      Not quite that but also, yes. They already own the land, I believe, and their pitch is we can use it for grouse shooting or we can build wind turbines on it.

      • frazorth@feddit.ukEnglish
        2·
        4 months ago

        Cheers, makes sense. Dryer ground makes it less absorbent.

        Like putting a dry sponge under the tap, a wet sponge allows water to flow through, while a dry one will splash water before starting to absorb any.