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Cornwall Light & Power
Towards Energy Independence:
The Denzell Downs Wind Farm Proposal
Background
Climate change is the greatest environmental challenge facing the world today and our reliance on finite fuel sources makes us increasingly vulnerable to energy shortages, price volatility and fuel poverty. In a world of growing energy demand adoption of renewable energy sources aloing with increased energy efficiency can offset all of these.
The UK and other EU countries are committed to a 60% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050 and it is widely recognised that the use of renewable energy is a very real way of reducing CO2 emissions. At the 2007 European Commission’s Spring Council, the UK committed to a binding target that by 2020 15% of their total energy should come from renewable sources.
Cornwall has some of the highest levels of fuel poverty in the country and a low carbon energy supply can help reduce this. It has been shown in countries with high levels of wind energy that it has helped stabilise and even reduce costs. A recent study by Ofgem reinforced this by stating that continuing to rely heavily on non-renewable fuel sources will end up costing the consumer more in their bills.
Wind energy is currently the most economical and technically advance renewable energy source, producing no carbon dioxide emissions or other pollutants during the operational life of the turbines.
Wind Power in Cornwall
Cornwall is a world-renowned centre for renewable power and pioneered the wind industry with some of the first commercial wind farms. Just as in the mining industry, Cornwall’s knowledge and experience of renewables has been exported around the UK and the world.
The Cornwall Light and Power Company Limited (CLP) is a local company with its head office based in Truro. We proudly employ a number of Cornish staff amongst who is a wealth of experience within the wind industry. As well as sites across the UK, CLP own and operate the wind cluster at Roskrow Barton, Penryn plus the wind farm at Goonhilly Downs on the Lizard Peninsula. The existing 14 turbines at Goonhilly Downs will soon be replaced by 6 more powerful turbines increasing the output of clean, green electricity from 5.6 MW to between 12 MW and 15 MW making the entire Lizard Peninsula plus a part of Helston carbon neutral!
Our Proposal
Our proposal (Denzell Downs) is to place turbines next to the existing wind farm at Bears Down. The point of this early consultation is to allow us to take into account the public’s views as well as the technical considerations in designing the final layout.
The Bears Down Wind Farm has been successfully generating an average 22,000 MWh of electricity since its first full year of generation in 2003*. The location has an excellent wind resource and even with only 5 more modern turbines its output would be more than double. For example, with a capacity of 10 MW Denzell Downs could generate enough electricity for around 5590 homes**, which is on top of the approximately 4680 already being powered by the Bears Down Wind Farm (based on a UK average domestic electricity consumption of 4.7 MWh)! This is equivalent to over 25% of Restormel’s (now part of the unitary authority) households!
The electricity generated will go into the local electricity distribution network and be consumed within the locality. The extra turbines would further reduce the community’s dependency on fossil-fuel and nuclear generated electricity. It is important, however, to emphasise that wind power does not compromise continuity of supply to householders because the community would remain connected to the national supply.
* Based on output recorded by Ofgem
** Based on standard industry figures, including a 30% capacity factor
Community Consultation
The views of local stakeholders and the local community is extremely important to us and CLP will consult widely before submitting an application to Cornwall Council.
The result of our discussion with the local residents, local councillors and planning officers will be assessed in great detail and with great care to ensure that everyone has had a chance to make their views known.
We want to stay involved with the community throughout the project’s life, for example at Roskrow Barton we work closely with the nearby university, had a free community open day this year and hold educational school visits. As we re unable to offer cheaper electricity or many jobs (due to the technology’s inherent reliability) we share the financial benefits from the wind farm with the community. One option for this is to help fund local homes to become more energy efficient.
Your Contact
Progress on our proposal can be followed on-line at www.clpwindprojects.co.uk and further information will be issued to ensure that local residents are kept fully informed.
Your principal contact at Cornwall Light and Power will be: Simon Pipkin - Project Developer
Cornwall Light and Power, Richmond Villas, 37 Edward Street, Truro, Cornwall. TR1 3AJ
Tel: 01875 226 930
Fax: 01872 263 416
E-mail:
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Web: www.clpwindprojects.co.uk
Have your say - Cornwall Light and Power invites the public to comment on its proposal for wind turbines at Denzell Downs, near St Mawgan and St Eval by completing the following questionnaire, which should be sent to the company at the address shown above.
Please either tick the appropriate choice or provide a written answer.
1 Do you support renewable energy as part of our energy mix? Yes No Undecided
2 Do you support onshore wind power as part of our energy mix? Yes No Undecided
3 Do you support the use of this site for a wind power project? Yes No Undecided
4 What do you think should be taken into account in plans for this site?
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5a Do you favour a 5-turbine scheme? Yes No Undecided
5b Do you favour an 8-turbine scheme? Yes No Undecided
5c If you prefer a different scheme on this site, what would you like to have?
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5d If you do not favour any form of development on this site, what are your reasons?
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6 If planning consent is granted, what financial benefits ought to be shared and with whom?
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7 What do you consider to be the main benefits of the proposed scheme?
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8 Do you have any specific concerns about the scheme at this stage?
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9 Have you any further comments about the proposals? If so, please provide a brief note.
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If you do complete the questionnaire, please provide your name and address, phone number and e-mail address if you have one.
Editorial Comment
Reading through Cornwall Light and Power’s Consultation Paper, a number of issues arise which need to be addressed. These issues are:
1 - As wind is intermittent and unreliable, energy from that source cannot be taken for granted. Alternative energy sources would need to be used to produce electricity when wind is either not there, insufficient or too strong. These alternative sources are likely to be from conventional power stations that use either fossil fuels or nuclear energy.
Wind turbines will not produce electricity if wind speeds are less than 10 miles an hour, and maximum generation is reached when the wind speed reaches 34 miles an hour. At wind speeds of 56 miles an hour or more the turbines have to be shut down for reasons of safety. It is also doubtful that there will be any overall saving of carbon emissions, as CO2 will be produced during manufacture and installation, and when conventional power has to be utilised whilst wind turbines are incapable of producing energy. A more complete rejection of wind power as an efficient and cost-effective source of energy is provided by Dr John Etherington in his book “The Wind Farm Scam”.
2 - Renewable energy does not mean wind power. Wind power is just one method of producing electricity using natural resources. Other forms of renewable energy include solar power, tidal power, hydro-power and geo-thermal heat; all of which are much more reliable than wind power, and certainly just as clean with regard to carbon emissions.
3 - Government subsidies using taxpayers’ money entice the development of wind farms and wind turbines. Excess electricity from wind turbines has to be sold to the National Grid, which in effect is another subsidy. No such support is given to other forms of renewable energy.
4 - International targets for increasing the use of renewable energy focus the Government’s efforts on wind energy, as this is the easiest option to demonstrate that UK is endeavouring to reach those targets - irrespective of the cost, effectiveness and reliability. The damage caused to the environment takes second place at best.
5 - The claim in “Background” states that Cornwall has some of the highest levels of fuel poverty in the country! What does this mean? What is the developer claiming?
6 - The community consultation is said to be extremely important to the developer. A planning application will only be submitted after widespread consultation with local residents, local councillors and planning officers. Will these discussions have any meaningful impact? Are the claims made by the developer clear to everyone and verifiable? Is the offer of assistance to enable local homes to become more energy efficient a means to eliminate or reduce local opposition? It is vital that as many people as possible fill in the developer’s questionnaire (reproduced above) and send it to the developer. Copies of completed questionnaires can also be sent to CPRE Cornwall using the following e-mail address -
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
With these issues in mind CPRE Cornwall is asking the developer to answer the following key questions:
1 - Can Cornwall Light and Power (CLP) demonstrate to CPRE Cornwall and the local community that the so-called “stakeholder” consultation is not a sham and that any proposal that is submitted will be shaped by the local community?
2 - If the local community clearly state that they are not in favour of wind farm at Denzell Downs, will CLP accept that there is substantial opposition and not submit a planning application?
3 - Will CLP provide details of subsidies and other benefits that it will receive if an application is approved and the wind farm is constructed?
4 - As renewable energy is not just wind power, will CLP state which alternatives to wind power have been considered?
5 - Can CLP explain why it is considered necessary to build a wind farm on Denzell Downs that would spoil the unique Cornish countryside? This question is particularly important as the Denzell Downs proposal is very close to the existing wind farm at Bears Down, and it has been demonstrated that wind energy is very intermittent and unreliable.
CPRE Cornwall has written to CLP to request answers to these questions. When these are received, the answers will be posted on CPRE Cornwall’s website as an addition to this article.
Ted Venn
29th December 2009
Reply received from Cornwall Light and Power:
The Cornwall Light and Power Co. Ltd
Registered Office: Unit A, 2 Station View, Station Approach, Guildford GU1 4JY.
Company Registered No. 2431173.
27 January 2010
Dear Mr Venn,
REF: Possible Wind Farm at Denzell Downs
Thank you for your letter regarding Denzell Downs. Please see my responses below to your
concerns:
1. Prior to and at the exhibition we have been asking the local community many
questions about the existing scheme, our potential site and wind power in general to
help shape our proposals. This will continue over the coming months. At our next
event we will illustrate those which we have been able to incorporate.
2. When looking into the viability of the scheme we reviewed the local Parish Plan which
states that “58% [of respondents] would be happy to see additional or larger turbines”,
this has been supported by the broadly positive response we have had to date from
our consultation efforts. Obviously with any future planning application we are obliged
to show the planning authority details and results of our public consultation, so that
they can judge this along with the project’s compliance with planning policy.
3. Cornwall Light and Power funds the development process and construction without
subsidy. We do not receive any money from the government at any point in the
development or operation of our wind farms. Like all electricity producers we are paid
for the electricity we produce, which in this case will go into the local distribution
network.
Once a renewable energy project, like a wind farm is fully operational and starts
delivering electricity to the grid it qualifies for Renewable Energy Certificates (ROC’s)
for each megawatt unit of electricity it produces1, which are used to show that
electricity suppliers are meeting their set renewable energy targets, across the UK.
These payments are fixed by the electricity market, administered by Ofgem, based on
supply and demand, not by the Government, and are a necessary incentive,
protecting and encouraging investment in all low-carbon energy technologies.
According to a report by the Sustainable Development Commission, in 2007 the
average cost of ROCs was £9 per household (the Ofgem report due out next month is
reported to show this has increased), with only a part of this going to wind energy, as
the money from ROC payments was distributed to all qualifying technologies,
including land fill gas, biomass, combined heat and power2 and investment in new
emerging technologies. To find out more, including the distribution of the ROCs and
value placed on each technology please visit www.ofgem.gov.uk
4. Cornwall Light and Power continually reviews the status of other technologies,
including biomass and solar, all of which come with their own set of challenges and
affects. However, despite some technologies receiving financial government support
and/or a greater price for their ROCs (e.g. wave, tidal, solar and offshore wind etc) we
presently feel that these technologies have not matured enough yet or remain too
expensive to be commercially viable.
5. We currently own an operating wind farm in Cornwall, that has been supplying the
local network, since the early 1990s, and it has done so without detriment to the
landscape, economy (including tourism) or wellbeing of neighbours.
As the proposed site here is next to an already operational wind farm, we believe that
by working with the local people and its operators we can design a layout that
minimises the effect on the landscape, compared to an area with no turbines.
6. Wind farms are in fact very reliable. Last year our sites, which include new and old
turbines across England and Wales, were available to generate on average 96% of
the year. Like solar and wave, wind is a variable source of free energy but it is not
totally random and unpredictable. In a study of various wind farms across the UK,
Oxford Brookes University stated that turbines are generating between 80-85% of the
year3. The greatest period of generation is over the winter months when the demand
for electricity is at its greatest.
However, no form of power generation is totally reliable; coal, gas and nuclear plants
can, and do, intermittently disconnect without warning, due to mechanical, electrical
or instrumentation faults. Couple this with the uncertainty in predicted consumer
demand means the system operator always has to have some reserves that enable
the system to be balanced. When wind is operating in an electricity network, this
introduces extra uncertainty, but as the Science and Technology Committee (Lords,
Session 2003-04) stated: “The amount of standby capacity that is needed reflects the
aggregated uncertainty of the power supplies, not the marginal uncertainty of wind
power alone.”
Importantly the National Grid does not see that wind will pose any major problems to
the system’s stability4. Especially, given that due to the geographical dispersion of
wind turbines it is extremely unlikely 1000MW of wind generated power will suddenly
disappear5.
However, Cornwall Light and Power is a firm believer in the need to develop other
forms of renewable technology to create a diverse and sustainable energy supply mix
so we are less reliant on imported sources of fuel, which are subject to massive price
fluctuations, yet remain flexible enough to meet the growing electricity demands of the
UK domestic, commercial and business sectors.
I also note from your website that you have concerns about the CO2 produced during
fabrication, construction and transportation of the turbines to site. To give you an idea of how
quickly wind turbines can pay back I can refer you to turbine manufacturers Vestas who have
looked at this very issue.
http://www.vestas.com/en/aboutvestas/principles/sustainability/wind-turbines-and-the-environment/life-cycle-assessment-%28lca%29.aspx.
Essentially they concluded that a turbine similar to the largest considered
at Denzell Downs could payback the energy consumed through its lifecycle in about
7.7months.
I hope these help answer you queries. I look forward to CPREs further input in helping
develop a greener Cornwall.
Yours sincerely,
Simon Pipkin
Project Developer
Notes:
1 Reform of the Renewables Obligation www.berr.gov.uk/fi les/fi le46838.pdf
2 Domestic Energy Bills and Costs of Implementing Environmental Measures’
www.sdcommission.org.uk/publications/downloads/DomesticEnergyPriceAnalysis.pdf
3 Wind Power and the UK Wind Resource. Graham Sinden (2005)
4 Managing Variability, David Milborrow (2009)
5 The GB System Operator, National Grid Transco, ‘Seven Year Statement’, May 2005
Ted Venn
5th February 2010
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