Energy companies and the Peatlands of Lewis

Northern peatlands cover only 3% of the world’s land surface but store up to a third of the world’s soil carbon. The Lewis peatlands constitute one of the largest and most intact areas of blanket bog in the world, and one of the largest expanses of semi-natural habitat in the UK.* Because of the role of peatlands in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the Scottish Government is spending £250 million over ten years on peatland restoration.*

Multinational energy companies EDF/ESB (France/Ireland), Eurowind Energy (Denmark), and BayWa AG (Germany)* have consent to build wind farms over a total of 3181 hectares in Lewis, mainly on blanket bog and other peat soils. They are all awaiting a mainland grid connection as the energy produced is destined for export across the Minch to mainland Scotland, across the country to Beauly, then onwards to the regions of high energy use in the south of the country. The substations required for the proposed Canadian/Irish N4 ‘Spiorad na Mara’ nearshore wind farm each require up to 12 hectares (footprints, temporary working areas and site compounds) and the 1 kilometre wide Area of Search for the underground export cable for this proposal crosses the Lewis Peatlands SPA (Special Protection Area) and Ramsar Site.* The HVDC convertor station that is needed to service these developments will require 18 hectares, and is also likely to be on peatland.

German multinational energy company RWE have recently submitted a request for a Scoping Opinion to the Scottish Government’s Energy Consents Unit for a further two large windfarms on peatlands in Lewis.*

Peatlands are popular with wind farm developers as they are usually distant from urban centres of population and political power, windy and of low agricultural value, so the land is cheap and the local communities relatively powerless. But wind farms on peatland can lead to very high levels of carbon release because the excavation of roads and turbine bases drains the surrounding area. A hectare of peatland can contain 5000 tonnes of carbon that begins to be released into the atmosphere when the roads and concrete bases are installed. As the peatland soil dries out and decomposes, the surrounding peat drains into it and dries out, and huge quantities of carbon dioxide can be released.*

Energy companies will go wherever they can make most profit, but it doesn’t seem rational for the Scottish Government to plan for wind farms and their associated infrastructure to be built in the areas where they will cause the most environmental damage, especially when the energy produced has to be transported such great distances to the point of use.