Not Everybody Loves Offshore Wind Power in Spain
The construction of 31 offshore wind farms, to be ready by the year 2012, is not being totally accepted by Spaniards.
People from Cadiz, Galicia and Tarragona, Spain, are not very comfortable with the project. The objection: offshore wind farms may spoil the view.
Certainly big wind turbines make the landscape uglier, not only in the mountains but also in the sea, at least if they are not well planned.
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That is precisely the issue, the Spanish Government is not paying enough attention to the landscape. While most wind farms in the world are located as far off the shore as possible so they can not easily be seen, the Spanish government is planning to put the turbines between 8 and 20 kilometres from the shore. It is really too close, for even though they cannot be seen by a person standing on the beach, they are perfectly visible from buildings and high points.
Another complaint by the locals is the problem that the setting of the turbines can bring to the fauna, especially to birds and fish. The tuna collectors are afraid their business can be affected by the exodus of the fish.That is another thing avoidable if things are done properly, the ecologist says.
In Cabo Trafalgar political activity against the offshore wind farms is growing, and you can see the city wallpapered with the slogan: “Save the Trafalgar sea”.
Again, the problem is not the offshore wind farms themselves, which will produce 2800 megawatts ( the same as three nuclear plants). The problem is the government’s bad planning that is turning a very good thing into an issue of conflict.
Via | Erenovable
Photo Credit: El País.
What nonsense. A 90-meter tower at 20 km has the same apparent size as a penny (2 cm) viewed at 4.2 meters. And as the article says, you can’t even see them from the shore, but you have to climb to the top of a tall building.
For the luddites who think that’s unacceptable, consider the alternatives to wind power. Oil refineries ain’t pretty. Neither is war, or the consequences of global warming.
@Alfredo
I agree 100%. These people objecting to the offshore windmills are total nutjobs. Possibly evil “gray” aliens.
The visibility of offshore wind farms depends on the distance from shore and the height of the turbines .
Most offshore wind farms now planned will consist of huge multi megawatt 5MW machines (over 170 metres high) which will be highly visible, dominating and industrialising the seascape. This is one of the reasons why NL, Belgium and Germany have decreed that these huge machines must go outside the 12 nautical mile zone (22km). Hopefully the Spanish government will follow this example and make sure to preserve the scenery and marine wildlife of their wonderful coastlines.
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