Mixed fortunes for Highland wind farm plans
Wind farm proposals in Skye and Caithness received polar opposite reactions from councillors at yesterday’s Highland Council north planning committee.
Caithness
Scottish Renewables report lays out positive impact of green developments on rural communities
The installation of a major undersea cable in the Highlands contributed an estimated £4.5 million to the local economy.
Hundreds of jobs saved at Dounreay nuclear site
Hundreds of jobs at Dounreay have been safeguarded following the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s (NDA) announcement it will take over the Caithness plant.
Forestry firm defends land clearance for ‘controversial’ Caithness onshore wind farm
A Perthshire forestry firm has defended its decision to start clearing land to make way for a controversial Caithness wind farm.
Fears wind farm ‘ring of steel’ is tightening
The return of proposals for a seven-turbine wind farm in Caithness have prompted angry and despairing responses from local residents who believe an industrial “ring of steel” is tightening its grip on their community.
Closing plan for Dounreay nuclear plant ‘unachievable’
Doubts are being cast on the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s (NDA) target of having Dounreay’s disappearance completed by 2033.
Two more giant turbines on the cards for Caithness
A Cornish company wants to submit a planning application for two giant wind turbines in Caithness.
Double whammy for Caithness wind farm opponents
Wind farm opponents in Caithness have been dealt a double whammy in their long-time campaign to prevent their village being surrounded by hulking turbines.
Ferry, fishing and oil and gas activities help Scrabster Harbour reach record profits
Scrabster Harbour Trust has reported another successful trading year with record revenues and profits being achieved for the fifth consecutive year.
Plans for ‘world’s first’ ocean-powered data centre in Scotland
Plans have been unveiled to build the world’s first ocean-powered data centre in the north of Scotland.
How to spend windfalls from windfarms?
A Caithness community is to consult locals on how best to use the money brought in by wind farms.
Nicola Sturgeon pledges action on Western Isles electricity link
Nicola Sturgeon has said she is “very concerned” after Ofgem signalled that it will reject proposals for a 600MW cable linking the Western Isles to the Grid.
Shetland to Caithness subsea electricity link given provisional approval
Plans for a subsea electricity cable linking Shetland to the mainland have been provisionally approved by the energy regulator.
Why Holyrood must put power back in hands of autonomous Caithness bodies
Suppose that Edinburgh’s prospects were so dire that its population was projected to nosedive by a fifth in 20 years.
Caithness to Moray power transmission network upgrade reaches milestone
Energy firm Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) has announced an "important milestone" in its £1.1billion Caithness-Moray undersea link project.
Greencoat wind generates £48.3million
Greencoat UK Wind generated £48.3m in income from its onshore wind farms last year, up from £32.4m a year earlier thanks largely to better than expected generation figures.
Scrabster Harbour boosted by growth in oil and gas acitivity
Scrabster Harbour said oil and gas related tonnage for last year increased by 29% amid the challenges facing the industry. Figures from the Harbour Trust showed tonnage from the sector in 2015 was 487,368 tonnes for the calendar year.
Caithness wind farm changes hands for £85million
London-based energy fund Greencoat UK Wind has bought the Stroupster wind farm in Caithness, from BayWa Renewable Energy for £85million.
Atlantis deploys subsea cables for Meygen project
The latest phase of the Meygen tidal energy project has been completed with the laying of four subsea cables.
Councillors asked to relax wind farm restrictions
Councillors are being asked to relax a planning restriction surrounding a massive 186-turbine offshore windfarm. Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd (MORL) won planning permission from the Scottish Government to construct 186 turbines 14 miles from the Caithness coast last year. Members of Aberdeenshire Council then approved two electricity substations near New Deer to support the scheme. Approval was granted on the condition that MORL provided council officers with information on how 20 miles of underground cabling would impact on roads and the environment.