It's a question of taste, was the reaction of environmental consultants to farmers' concerns that a proposed wind farm on the East London road would mar the landscape's appearance.
It's a question of taste, was the reaction of environmental consultants to farmers' concerns that a proposed wind farm on the East London road would mar the landscape's appearance.
People living in the area where wind-energy company Plan 8 propose putting up a 32-turbine wind farm expressed concern that the unsightly structures would spoil the landscape for those who lived in it, and put off tourists seeking escape from built-up areas and an industrial-type landscape.
The farmers had gathered at the Graham Hotel on Monday to ask questions of environmental consultants Coastal and Environmental Services, who are tasked with the environmental impact assessment for the Cape Town-based renewable energy company.
The company, Plan 8, which specialises in the planning and development of utility scale wind-energy projects, proposes putting up to 27 turbines on the farms Gilead, Tower Hill and Peynes Kraal, approximately 30km east of Grahamstown, on the N2 towards East London. Each turbine, according to Coastal and Environmental Services' Hylton Newcombe, would have a power output of 2-3 megawatts (MW).
The maximum generated power of the wind farm would be 67.5MW, which would feed into the national grid. 0ne MW was described as being capable of powering 3 000 domestic stoves. One farmer questioned why this site had been chosen.
Another, whose home is just above one of the proposed turbines, was concerned about the turbines blocking his view. Plan 8 engineer Zuben Jessa responded that the site had good grid access and good wind resources. Another Plan 8 engineer explained that at night, the turbines had aviation lights which would flash red over a 10km radius.
The lights during the day would flash white. Another farmer said, "The community I am representing, I don't think they are aware of what is proposed. In their minds, they are thinking there might be one or two towers, like the ones in Coega."
Other questions related to financial benefits, as well as concerns that down the line that the unsightliness of the towers would be to the detriment of game farms and lodges. Bill Rowlston, of Coastal and Environmental Services, said the matter of the impact of eco-tourism had been raised in other wind farm projects they had worked on and it was a question of taste.
He emphasised that the proposal was still in its early stages and this was why the exercise to gather comments and questions was important. On the question of financial benefits, Jessa said the final proposal for the wind farm would include criteria such as social development.
The project proposal will be going up against other bidders in renewable energy through the government's competitive bidding process, the Renewable Energy Procurement Programme.
