Re-visit Older Wind Development Sites
Due to continuous changes within the UK aviation industry, we believe that there may be some merit for developers and consultants alike to re-visit some of the older sites within their development site portfolio.
Such sites might include those which have previously been written off due to various aviation constraints as a result of previous objections or concerns raised by the MoD, CAA or NATS. Changes within the aviation industry are occurring constantly, with rules and regulations being changed and improved, alterations to policy, together with system upgrades.
System Upgrades
System upgrades may include new hardware being installed at a given location such as new radar antenna equipment or improved software including processing and filters.
The MOD are continually upgrading their radar technology as funds become available, and this technology is evolving to become more wind turbine tolerant.
The National Air Traffic Service En-Route Ltd. (NERL) are in the process of upgrading all of their current fleet of en-route radar systems across the country, and addressing the wind farm issue is high on the list of requirements.
Airports
The new Prestwick Control Centre is also due to be up and running soon, which will consolidate the current Manchester and Prestwick NATS en-route operations in to a new building which will be the sixth largest of its kind in Europe. As a result, the possibilities for regional mitigation solutions are improving.
Glasgow airport is now using the new radar system located at Kincardine, which was constructed as a mitigation solution for the Whitelee development located to the South of Glasgow. The new Kincardine radar feed has potentially opened the door for other regional installations to utilise its coverage as in-fill mitigation where suitable, such radars include Lowther Hill and potentially Edinburgh Airport in future.
Some regional airports are gaining new airfield radar systems with a few also gaining new areas of controlled airspace with changes to their previous operations. This may in some cases result in a change to aircraft patterns and altitudes around a given airfield.
Where new radar installations are being developed, this can in some cases be used very successfully in wind farm mitigation. Two wind farm proposals have recently been granted consent with the requirement of a new radar installation at Hibaldstow Bridge, which will feed its coverage in to Robin Hood Airport Doncaster Sheffield. If this goes ahead, it may open the door for future mitigation opportunities in the region with other developments which were previously written off.
Can we help you?
We are keen to assist developers and consultants to meet their renewable development targets, and therefore feel there is value to be gained by reconsidering old sites which may benefit from recent changes within the UK Aviation Industry.
