PROTECTING THE HEBRIDEAN HORIZON FROM MACHAIRWIND
For generations, Scotland’s west coast has been defined by vast seas, unspoilt island views, dark skies, wildlife and tranquillity — the very qualities that attract visitors and sustain our island economies.
That is now under threat from the proposed MachairWind development by Iberdrola — the energy giant which owns ScottishPower Renewables (SPR), with an industrial development on a scale never before seen in the Inner Hebrides.
The MachairWind proposal would cover 448 km² of sea, with at least 91 turbines standing 340 metres high, located within 6 miles of Colonsay, 10 miles of Islay, and 13 miles of Mull and Iona. To put this into perspective, each turbine would stand taller than the Eiffel Tower. Imagine 91 Eiffel Towers dominating your horizon.
This is not about energy generation. Currently energy companies receive approximately £1.4 billion per year to turn off wind turbines in Scotland and crank up polluting gas power stations closer to major cities south of the border when the power produced by our wind farms cannot be transmitted by our failing grid. Island communities will not receive cheaper electricity, community benefits won’t be confirmed until after approval is given, livelihoods may be destroyed and the long-term visual impact will remain long after the profits have gone into the pockets of Iberdola’s shareholders.
The money will not stay in the Hebrides. The damage will.
Help protect our islands
Make your voice heard
Renewable energy matters
But fragile and unique communities matter too
On desktop computers use mouse wheel to zoom in and click to move around the maps.
On mobile devices click and pinch to zoom in and drag around.
MACHAIRWIND FACTS
- 91 turbines, each 340m high and 280m wide (or up to 144 turbines at 260m tall) covering an area of 448 km² of our coastal waters.
- Highly visible from Islay, Jura, Colonsay, Iona, Mull, Tiree, Staffa and the Treshnish Islands.
- The area covered by this development will be over 50% of the landmass of Mull, 64% of the landmass of Islay, 10 times the size of Colonsay and 51 times the size of Iona.
- Red flashing lights on top of each turbine will destroy our dark-sky environment.
- The site was chosen by SPR from 20 identified because of “ease of development”
- Offshore windfarm construction combined with blades rotating at 250mph are proven to threaten bird and fish migratory pathways, marine mammal habitats and behaviour and the general health of the seabed and ecology
- Scotland is already a net exporter of electricity, generating nearly twice as much as it can consume annually
- A very high percentage of energy currently generated in Scotland is being discarded due to lack of grid infrastructure to distribute it, with consumers paying over £350m to turn off their turbines and a further £1.1 billion to produce the electricity to meet demand from the rest of the UK from gas fired power stations every year.
- This windfarm will not provide cheaper or greener power to the island communities impacted by its construction and operation.
- Much of the energy produced will be landed in Wales (which itself over-produces electricity) for export to the rest of the UK and beyond.
- SPR has stated that it will not give any indication of community benefit levels until consent is granted (by which time it will be too late to object).
- SPR has confirmed that any socio-economic assessment (such as impact on tourism) will not include input from island residents, businesses or visitors
- SPR is owned by the Iberdrola (Spanish energy giant) with all profits channelled to their shareholders
Environmental destruction is NOT green energy. This is not a small project tucked away out at sea. MachairWind is the industrialisation of the Inner Hebrides on a scale never seen before. It will create economic, social and ecological damage with no necessity or benefit.
