By JB
From Europe’s largest renewable energy producer Statcraft 2nd April 2024:
“Wind power is often characterised by incorrect, inaccurate and misleading claims.”
Six stubborn myths about wind power
1. “Wind power takes up large areas of land.”
If you count the entire area around and between the turbines in a wind farm, there is no doubt that a wind farm is the energy source that requires the largest area of land per MWh produced, even if the direct impact on nature is small.
However if the land where the wind turbines are located can be used at the same time for other purposes, such as grazing or farming, the footprint is minimal.
2. “Wind power destroys nature.”
The impact of wind turbines on wildlife is often significantly exaggerated, not least when compared to the impacts of other interventions in nature. For example, if we look at the risk to birds in general, the impact from collisions with wind turbines is small compared with collisions with buildings or other infrastructure. Having said that, bird death is an undesired consequence of wind power, so both experiments and research are carried out to reduce the risk.
3. “Wind power is inefficient.”
A common objection to wind power is that it is inefficient because a wind power plant only produces when it is windy, not necessarily when we need the power most. This is only partially correct. Wind turbines do not need very strong winds to produce electricity. A land-based wind power plant often has a capacity factor a of 35–40 per cent, and is in operation 80 per cent of the time.
4. “Wind turbines generate noise at levels harmful to health.”
Although wind turbines generate noise from both the blades and the generators, and some people are bothered by the noise. Wind turbines can emit both high-frequency and low-frequency sound, as well as infrasound. Modern turbines generally generate less noise than older models. The World Health Organisation believes that research does not support the claim that wind turbines themselves contribute to more physical and mental health problems.
5. “Wind turbines use more energy than they produce.”
It is sometimes claimed that wind turbines are not profitable, climate-friendly or sustainable because the energy that goes into building them exceeds the energy the wind turbines produce over their lifetime. This is not true. A life-cycle analysis published in the scientific journal Renewable Energy in 2012 shows that, after only three to seven months, a wind turbine produces more energy than is required to manufacture it and set it up.
6. “Wind turbines require increased supplies of rare minerals.”
The newest turbines use significantly less rare earth materials per MW than earlier models. Although the materials are called “rare”, there is no reason to fear that there will be a shortage of rare minerals anytime soon. However, it is a challenge that many of these materials are extracted in countries such as China and the Congo, often under conditions that do not take sufficient account of people and the environment. The solution to these challenges is that we become better at recovering valuable minerals, and that Europe makes more effort to become self-sufficient in these minerals.
Mythbusting: “Wind power is unreliable, inefficient and harmful to nature”
Wind turbines require rare earth elements such as neodymium and dysprosium for permanent magnets used in the turbines’ generators. The average offshore wind turbine requires 600 kg of rare earth materials.
REE have never been commercially extracted in the UK, nor has there been any systematic exploration for REE.
REE like neodymium and dysprosium are found in Scotland, although typically in small amounts. There are documented occurrences of REE-bearing minerals in Scotland, particularly in the Northern Arran granite and in alluvial sediments derived from the granite. Loch Ailsa, Loch Borralan and Loch Urigill in North West Scotland also have occurrences of REE.
From wind turbine magazine
Can Wind Turbines Work When Its Not Windy? – Wind Turbine Magazine
Wind turbines do not generate electricity when it’s not windy. They also don’t generate electricity when the wind speed drops below what’s called the ‘cut-in-speed’. That’s the minimum wind speed below which the wind turbine stops generating electricity.
Cut-in speed varies among different types of wind turbines.
For example, the 225kw Vestas V27 wind turbines—all cut-in (i.e. start generating electricity) as soon as the wind speed reaches 3.5 metres per second (mps), or about 8 miles per hour (mph).
Much larger turbines, like the 2MW ‘Vestas V90’—which stand over 100 metres tall—have a slightly higher cut-in-speed of 4 mps, or 8.95 mph.
Most medium and large size wind turbines’ cut-out speed is around 25 mps, or 60 mph, although some larger turbines have additional control systems which allow them to continue operating at even higher wind speeds.
According to the Met Office Scotland’s mean wind speed annually is 10.74 knots or 12.35 mph. January to April and October to December the mean wind speed is 11.70 knots or 13.46 mph.
Proven to be extremely dangerous to health and environment. Nuclear Small Modular Reactors promoted by British Labour in Scotland?
or
Renewable energy, an already working and profitable, safe source of power championed by The SNP Scottish Government?
JB
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Thanks JB for that interesting and informative piece on wind turbines, plus I guess they will get even more efficient as technology and knowledge increases over time.
It wont stop the naysayers from coming out with “when the wind doesn’t blow” and we must have SMR’s as they are patriotic etc. But this piece puts their nonsense into some perspective.
Mind you, I doubt that I will ever aim for a seat in the HOL, plus a nice wee Executive Board Member role somewhere either.
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Alas, we know that No10’s preferred propaganda outlet, BBC Scotchland, will minimise/ignore any positive news on renewables, while maximising any benefits (??) from mini nukes. This while ignoring nuke set up and security costs, waste disposal and danger to the public.
Scotland sadly lacks any media which will ask serious questions of the YUK regime whether directly or FoI requests.
In the Satrapy of Scotland, our colonial media give Viceroy Murray the easiest of jobs. Picture him lounging on a couch guzzling grapes fed to him by the serried ranks of impoverished waifs his regimes policies churn out.
Hatty Jaikey Balliol and Starwars look on with envy awaiting their turn. Starwars has now stated (after loudly and repeatedly criticizing the Scottish government) that if he gets into power, he will NOT return to the pay restraint of the previous SNP governments.
gavinochiltree
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Thanks for this excellent article. I hope developers will find a way of protecting birds as this seems to be a major reason why people complain about wind turbines.
I am dismayed to read that Scotland does indeed harbour rare earth elements. That surely kyboshes any hope of ever becoming independent. How would we cope? The whole country is covered in granite!
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Yep scares me too. The vultures have already at least partly prospected the Scotish Highlands for REM’s they know they are there, I presume ‘Scot Gold’ an Aussie company are still taking Scottish high quality gold from the hills around Tyndrum. The geological make-up of Scotland is very varied, the Engkish already quarried it to heck for building their London bridge and other huge buildings in London, even the Salisbury crags in Edinburgh quarried and the rocks were taken south!! Much more to say, but so much to do re our eviction pending…back later.
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What about passing a bill nationalising “strategic minerals” (to be defined later) no matter whose land (or sea) they happen to be lurking under at present. A clause in the Land Reform bill might do? It’s already been interfered with by all the wrong people as it crawls through Holyrood.
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Very informative article.
My son uses Whitelees wind farm site frequently for leisure cycling with his daughter. He’s never seen dead or injured birds there.
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Wind shear can be a problem as well as shadow flicker.
However, the key to installation is to keep them away from the built environment (notwithstanding themselves) and Scotland has an abundance of open spaces.
“Oh but it destroys the scenery!”
I’m calling BS on this.
Some turbines or coal or nuclear monoliths?
NO contest.
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‘Some turbines or coal or nuclear monoliths? NO contest.’
We, our children, grandchildren and beyond will be living – and paying – for the legacy of past and. present nuclear power generation for a long time to come.
Source: National Audit Office (16 October 2024) Decommissioning Sellafield: managing risks from the nuclear legacy – Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/decommissioning-sellafield-managing-risks-from-the-nuclear-legacy.pdf )
In the words of the NAO on Sellafield: ‘.. the NDA expects full site remediation will take until 2125.’ So 100 years!
We learn that Sellafield spend in 2023-24 = £2.7 billion. And from Para 3.16 of the NAO report: ‘Sellafield spends the majority of its current funding on meeting legal obligations and reducing the highest hazards …….. It spends relatively little on decommissioning and demolishing buildings: just £107 million in 2023‑24.’ (my emphasis) So spending billions just to mark time?
NAO report summary Para 11: ‘There is no overall measurement of progress towards full decommissioning’.
Para 13: ‘Sellafield has to empty waste from ageing facilities which pose an ‘intolerable’ risk, and store it in buildings which meet modern standards. The risk these facilities pose is illustrated by the Magnox Swarf Storage Silo, which is leaking 2,100 litres of contaminated water each day. … (Sellafield and its regulators believe that current leakage rates pose a low risk to workers and the public).’
And more on the latter, from Para 2.16: ‘… MSSS (Magnox Swarf Storage Silo) has been leaking contaminated water into the ground since 2019; the rate is currently estimated at around 2,100 litres per day. Sellafield is unable to fix the leak, meaning it may continue until this part of the silo is emptied in the late 2040s or early 2050s.’
And still no solution for final storage of the most toxic waste.
So wind turbines or more nuclear generation? As you say, no contest!
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Angus has 1 small windfarm tucked away between Dundee and Glamis, 8 small turbines, all other applications in the bin,
the Council like to label themselves as a green council and they are building a new bike track in Arbroath,
but at £14M for less than a mile of track, I’m thinking there’s some bad actors hard at work there.
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Who runs the council? Who is getting the contract for the bike track? Hmm…
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The Council officers run Angus Council, the elected councillors wave thru any daft scheme they bring forward, like,
car parking charges for High Sts that are dying on their feets,
the Brechin flood defence scheme, failed within 10 years of opening,
and of course, digging up the dual carriageway in Arbroath and replacing it with a bike track, at a cost of £14M.
I believe there are other big schemes in the pipeline.
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have you seen this one
Scottish Tory council leader appears to promise ‘pals’ contracts
Where is the blue tents?
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Michelle Mone has a VIP contract to supply them.
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WHEN WILL THIS FILTH END
ARE ALL TORY VOTERS CORRUPT AS WELL AS BLIND
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CORRUPTION YET AGAIN
where are these so CALLED ENGLISH COPPERS
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LETS ALL ‘OUT’ THESE FRIGGIN CREEPS
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