Opposition to GlaxoSmithKline's Montrose wind turbines plan ahead of public meeting
A petition has been launched against an £8 million plan to install two 400ft wind turbines in Montrose.
The turbines would be 10m taller than the pair at Michelin in Dundee.
- By Graeme Strachan
- Published in the Courier : 29.08.11
- Published online : 29.08.11 @ 03.43pm
The turbines — taller than the ones at the Michelin tyre plant in Dundee — are proposed for the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) site at Cobden Street.
The firm says the turbines would generate enough electricity to make the site self-sufficient and deliver excess to the National Grid, helping GSK achieve its ambition of a "carbon neutral" site.
But a petition launched on the GoPetition website (link) on Friday, under the name Ferryden, opposes the scheme on the grounds that the turbines would "spoil the skyline" and would be too close to residential areas.
The petition has gathered 40 signatures and the link to the site is circulated on Facebook.
The application could go to Angus Council towards the end of this year but a determining factor in that is that GSK has to have completed a year's worth of environmental impact assessments and track a 12-month cycle of migratory birds and their flight paths.
It also needs to collect wind data over a year and has a meteorological mast on site gathering information.
All of that will come to a conclusion at the end of this year. Once it has that information it can make a formal application.
The pharmaceutical giant is to hold a public consultation meeting in the Links Hotel on September 15, when the company will share details of the proposal.
A spokesman for GSK said that if all went to plan the turbines would be operating on site in 2013, producing six megawatts of electricity — enough to power the equivalent of 3000 homes.
The spokesman said the consultation meeting would offer local people the chance to "help shape GSK's plans." It will feature background information, artists' impressions of the turbines and project team members will be present to answer questions.
The proposed turbines would be 10 metres taller than the turbines at Michelin, which stand 120 metres high from the ground to the blade tip.
A lot of work has also been going on to help decide exactly what size and type of turbine would be best for the site.
A spokesman said: "We have a bit to go but early indications are that the wind across the site is viable for a couple of wind turbines.
"If all goes according to plan, what GSK would like to do is erect two turbines each capable of generating up to three megawatts of electricity.
"The scheme would generate electricity greater than the site's immediate needs. All of the electricity would go in to a local network and any surplus that GSK would generate over and above its immediate needs to operate the site offsets the carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas, which the combined heat and power unit currently operating on the site produces.
"It will have to continue to operate because it generates steam, which is vital to the manufacturing process which GSK has on site.
"The company will have to continue to run the combined heat and power unit that burns natural gas, that gives off carbon dioxide.
"By generating more electricity from wind power you offset the carbon dioxide and ultimately you get to a position where you have the equivalent of nil carbon dioxide footprint on the site."
04.08pm - 29.08.2011 David Smith - Ferryden, Scotland Report This
Glaxo should be congratulated for taking an eco-friendly approach to power generation on their site. This investment looks set to secure much needed jobs in the area.
06.10pm - 29.08.2011 Catherine - Zurich, Switzerland Report This
Glaxo should be permitted to install the wind turbines, they are surprisingly quiet, very graceful and not at all an eyesore...I know, I have lived near some for a while in Germany!
06.51pm - 29.08.2011 Alexander - Montrose, Angus Report This
Well said DS, jobs first, jobs first and jobs first, the windmills will enhance the views of the site and the town.
08.24pm - 29.08.2011 dark days - Angus, Scotland Report This
N.I.M.B.YISM is alive and well in Montrose. This no doubbt will secures local jobs and have road envinonmental benefits. You cant please anyone these days.
10.17pm - 29.08.2011 Col - Dundee, city of, UK Report This
So the theory goes. God, aren't people gullible, always ready to suck up the propaganda from these people?
08.46am - 30.08.2011 mark - dundee, scotland Report This
so glaxo are going to continue running their old system and there will be no reduction in actual emmissions - the only reason for doing this then is SUBSIDIES... they are in it for the money. i notice they also only talk about what power their turbine MIGHT produce - not their actual figure...
08.57am - 30.08.2011 N Edmonson - Cupar, UK Report This
Expensive, inefficient eyesores subsidised by the consumer. Not one power station can be closed irrespective of how many we cover the UK in cos if the wind don't blow there aint no power. One day we will wake up to the fact these are daft!
09.18am - 30.08.2011 John - Montrose, UK Report This
Mark - their "old system" was installed only 2 years ago, and is a very efficienct way of generating electricity and heat. That, combined with these turbines will make the plant self sufficient. N Edmonson - if these turbines mean that GSK no longer need less electricity isnt that a good thing?
10.12am - 30.08.2011 johnny bell - WESTOWN, perthshire Report This
i am completely against wind turbines for all the usual reasons BUT in an industrial site i would say the opposite. i used to live near the mitchelin site(and had done so for most of my life until 3 years ago) and the turbines in my view enhanced an otherwise dismal industrial landscape.
10.29am - 30.08.2011 Bob - dundee, Scotland Report This
Off or on these turbines generate income via feed in tariffs. They're useless for generating electricity but this isn't their main purpose. It can stand idle all year yet still take £300,000 out of poor peoples pockets via energy bills and hand it to rich companies via tariffs. A wicked scam.
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