Blow for Trump as work gets under way
THERE was more bad news for US presidential candidate Donald Trump yesterday as work got under way on a controversial offshore wind farm he has opposed.
The £300million development, located in Aberdeen Bay, will be Scotland’s largest offshore wind test and demonstration facility when completed.
The European Offshore Wind Deployment Centre (EOWDC) development will see 11 giant turbines connected to the National Grid, which it is hoped will generate enough energy to power 68,000 homes every year.
However, Mr Trump, who owns Menie Estate, site of a links golf course two miles away in Aberdeenshire, unsuccessfully challenged the wind farm all the way to the UK Supreme Court, arguing it would ruin the view.
The tycoon fell out with former first minister Alex Salmond, previously his most influential backer in Scotland, over his support for the development.
Vattenfall, the Swedish power company in charge of the project, confirmed work on the site began yesterday. The constructing programme for the onshore substation and associated cabling started with work to prepare and secure the Blackdog site, setting up staff facilities and an access route for the onshore project team.
Work on the substation will begin later this year, with the first power set to be generated in 2018.
But last night a spokesman for the Trump Organization in New York said Vattenfall would not be able to start building the substation until the authorities had approved its design. She added: ‘The Trump Organisation is considering all options for maintaining its challenge against this economically disastrous project that will blight the North-East coastline.’ Adam Ezzamel, the EOWDC project director, said the start of onshore works was a ‘step forward’ and pledged to carry out this phase ‘with minimum disruption’ to locals.
He added: ‘We will continue to keep the local community informed of the progress of the project, which will help cement Aberdeen’s position as a global energy city and deliver long-term economic benefits.’