Murdo's explosive blast at wind farm fire
Published 16 Dec 2011 09:30
8 Comments
Share this
A Conservative chariman of energy at the Scottish Parliament, visited Largs this week, and highlighted last Thursday's wind turbine fire as proof that the technology is 'unreliable' for our energy needs.
Murdo Fraser MSP was the guest speaker at Largs & District Conservative and Unionist Association annual Christmas Lunch in the Willowbank Hotel on Saturday.
Mr. Fraser is the Chairman of the Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee of the Scottish Parliament. During his statement, Mr Fraser stated that wind farms were unreliable "as we saw from the turbine on fire at Ardrossan and also the sporadic generation depending on the available wind."
He added: "The Institute of Mechanical Engineers have stated that in the light of the soon closure of power stations at Longannet and Cockenzie coal fired power stations there will be no spare backup capacity and electricity will need to be imported from England or even France ( nuclear).
"The lifetime cost of wind power is 2.5 times that of nuclear resulting in a flat rate levy on electricity bills so affecting the poorest consumers the most - a Robin Hood tax in reverse - take from the poor and give to the rich wind farm companies."
Have your say. Post a comment on this article.
-
norfolkboy14
7 posts
Dec 16, 09:58
Report commentWe need to get the Government onside, as well as local councils and others, if we are going to stop these monstrosities being built.
Are you disillusioned by rising electricity prices, over dependence on the "green" dream [especially uneconomical and inefficient wind farms] and the destruction of our countryside then please register your objection on
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/22958
Please get your friends to sign up too.
Recommend?
Yes 11
No 22
-
c y clist
Unregistered User
Dec 16, 12:43
Report commentSo how are we going to get our power in future? And the near future at that, too!
Coal? - no, the people of the north coast have said quite clearly they don't want that!
Nuclear? - Our SNP Government and another whole load of people (and a good proportion of those in the anti-coal camp, too) will scream and shout objections to that.
Wind? - ugly and ineffecient cry the critics.
Uncomfortable and unpalatable choices need to be made, and made now, otherwise we will become nothing but a nation of NIMBY's sitting around in the dark!
The cold reality is that here in the Largs district we have a superb coal handling terminal, brownfield space to build a new power station of whatever kind, ready made connections to the national grid, and plenty of wind too.
We have to get a grip and play our part in securing our country's future energy needs, one way or the other.
Me? I'd vote for a Hunterston C and more turbines. (I think they're quite pretty, acutally)
Recommend? Yes 20
No 15
-
nuclear no thanks
Unregistered User
Dec 16, 16:12
Report commentI just want to know what he would have said if the storm has caused a similar scenario as in Japan earlier this year. I'm sure he will be the first to scream and shout and damn nuclear power. I personally would rather pay more for energy that comes from a clean green source. It's time that this country finally get to understand the risks of nuclear power and take a look at what other countries are doing to make this planet safer. Think about it.
Recommend? Yes 21
No 19
-
seamusb
Unregistered User
Dec 17, 10:54
Report commentUnfortunately for "nuclear no thanks" the phrase "energy that comes from clean green source " is a nonsense . Onshore winds generates about 22% of the time - what happens when you need power for the remaining period go without or freeze ?
Answer - build back up coal and gas thermal stations which due to their intermittent operations are even more polluting than base load nuclear
Its Ok if one can pay even more for this wind energy but the extra cost is putting many more people into fuel poverty - as Mr Fraser said a Robin Hood tax in reverse
Recommend? Yes 15
No 12
-
Dave
Unregistered User
Dec 17, 23:18
Report comment"It's time that this country finally get to understand the risks of nuclear power"
Time to heed your own advice, an incident such as what happened at Fukushima couldn't happen in any of our AGR plants by virtue of their design, similarly any newer builds are designed to be inherantly safe unlike the ancient BWR design used at Fukushima.
No system is of course perfect however scaremongering based on little or no fact is just sad.
Recommend? Yes 8
No 11
-
Tam O Shanter
Unregistered User
Dec 19, 18:26
Report commentSigned the petition. At least a new nuclear station would provide hundreds of construction jobs for local people.
How many if Any people from the local area were employed during construction of the Fairlie wind Factory ?.
Nuclear Power - Yes Please :-)
Recommend? Yes 12
No 10
-
biker
Unregistered User
Dec 20, 09:17
Report comment"nuclear no thanks"
lets see what basis you have your factual information!
Anyone can have an opinion and is entitled to it, equally so anyone can read a paper and repeat it with belief.
Interesting article in Spectator recently about rising sea levels and how the research team who actually do the measurements, research & monitor have seen little or no rise. (www.spectator.co.uk/essays/7438683/rising-crdulity.thtml)
Recommend? Yes 8
No 7
-
Steve
Unregistered User
Dec 20, 18:07
Report commentUsing Murdo Fraser's logic would men that nuclea renergy (plus any other energy generation type for that matter) would have been discounted years ago due to breakdowns and failures caused by nature.
Jings a "swarm" of jellyfish put paid to Torness, it having to be shutdown just in case
In fact both Torness and Hunterston's reactors are up and down like a yo-yo for a variety of reasons.
Don't even mention Sellafield/Windscale and teh issues it's caused
Recommend? Yes 8
No 1
Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.
