Windfarms Planning Consultancy
Key words and phrases: windfarms, planning, aviation, impact assessment, risk management, wind turbines, conflict resolution, airport operators
The development of renewable energy sources, together with the need to reduce carbon emissions, means that the Government is driving the requirement to develop Wind Turbine Generation Capacity.
Targets have been set for 10% of the UK’s electricity supply to be met by renewably-generated electricity in 2010 and 20% by 2020. Both on- and off-shore wind farms have been identified as ‘the largest contributors to the renewables generation mix’, according to the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA).
It is an unfortunate reality that such an environmentally-significant activity can occasionally conflict with both civil and military Air Traffic Control service provision and other aviation related activity. Lockheed Martin UK - Integrated Systems & Solutions (IS&S) has been helping to resolve issues in this area for several years and is able to propose solutions to both developers and airports alike.
Impact Assessment Studies
Through our wide ranging technical and operational experience, Lockheed Martin UK IS&S can offer specialist advice on the potential impacts of wind energy installations, starting at the pre-planning stages. This enables developers to address objections or observations from aviation stakeholders early in a project’s life and to develop cost-effective strategies and solutions.
Risk Management
Due to the size of modern wind turbines and farms, it is possible that any new develop-ment will impact upon some facet of aviation, whether it is military low flying, Approach or Departure procedures to a civil or military airfield, or adverse effects on a meteorological radar. Lockheed Martin UK IS&S can assess the operational and technological impacts of such developments and advise how best to manage or mitigate such risks.
Conflict Resolution and Mitigation
Just because a wind energy proposal has attracted objections, it does not mean the pro-ject is not viable. With our expertise in military and civil ATC operations, procedure design, regulation and planning, military command and control systems and wind farm development, we are ideally placed to facilitate discussions between wind farm developers and aviation stakeholders in order to reach the optimum solution for all parties.
Planning Assistance and Planning Enquiries
Whether you are a developer or their legal representatives, a hard pressed regional or lo-cal airport operator, or an Air Traffic Control service provider, we can help. We ensure that we remain current with the latest regulatory, operational and technical developments enabling us to suggest pragmatic and cost-effective solutions. For the developer, we can approach airport operators to seek a resolution of the issue, or at the other end of the spectrum, give expert evidence at a Planning Enquiry. For an Airport operator, responding to Windfarm planning applications that land on your desk can be extremely time consuming and a distraction from your responsibility for provision of a safe air traffic control service. We can be relied upon to work the issue for you leaving you free to run your airport.
Lockheed Martin UK IS&S Activities
- We authored, on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the ‘Wind Energy and Aviation Interests – Interim Guidelines’, the first time that all the issues surrounding wind energy and aviation were captured in one publication. This has proved to be a valuable reference for developers, planners and aviators alike.
- We conducted the ‘Wind Turbines and Aviation – European Experience and Practice’ study, also commissioned by the DTI, to examine the regulatory, institutional and legislative differences in the approach to the issue between the UK and leading exponents of wind energy on the Continent.
- We are providing specialist consultancy to a number of Europe’s largest energy companies regarding planned energy installations in the vicinity of UK airports.
- We have also provided specialist advice to airport operators on how best to minimise the impact of proposed wind energy developments to ensure continued safe aviation operations.
Further information is available from:
Email:
Tel: +44 (0)1252 732555
