forester
Full Member
''yipee'' i'm through
Posts: 1,252
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Post by forester on Mar 26, 2013 12:17:42 GMT
littered with turbines. all for what--to keep another country with power. all boil's down to-- shite in someone else's back yard to keep your own clean, and noise free.
Wind Turbines: Energy deal with UK worth Billions KEITH FALKINER JANUARY 25, 2013
IRELAND is going to be littered with wind turbines after signing a deal to export wind energy to the UK to power millions of homes there.
Communications and Energy Minister Pat Rabbitte said the country is in a “win-win” situation after he penned a deal to pave the way for the construction of 700 turbines at a cost of €7.7bn.
The deal, signed yesterday with Mr Rabbitte’s British opposite number Ed Davey, has been welcomed by the Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA).
The IWEA claims the sector can create up to 30,000 sustainable jobs across Ireland.
Wind turbine developments are now expected to be constructed.
One such project is Oriel Windfarm, a 330 megawatt offshore windfarm off the east coast in Co Louth.
The €900m project will consist of 55 turbines which could supply 250,000 homes.
Another wind farm that may benefit from the new deal is Dublin Array, an offshore wind farm of 145 turbines being developed on the Kish and Bray Banks, 10km off the coast of Dublin and Wicklow.
Element Power, the US company behind the scheme, said the 600ft turbines could supply 10 per cent of the UK’s renewable energy target for 2020.
Minister Rabbitte said the scheme will also increase Ireland’s renewable energy capacity from 18 to 40 per cent over the same period of time.
Minister Rabbitte said: “It’s a win-win for both countries.
“You can’t use electricity more than there is demand for it — it can’t be stored.
“We do have unique wind resources.
“If this agreement permits the trading of energy then there will be jobs in it.”
The IWEA said that the deal is a very important initial step in delivering an energy trade agreement.
They believe that up to 30,000 indigenous jobs could be created across the country in renewable energy if the required factors are put in place with this agreement.
Meanwhile, the National Offshore Wind Association of Ireland said that the export drive will offer opportunity for all kinds of renewable energy development, including offshore wind power.
A spokesperson said: “The offshore wind energy sector is the immediate winner.
“Ireland has a number of offshore wind projects which are ‘shovel-ready’.
“This announcement gives them the route to market.”
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Post by joepublic on Mar 26, 2013 12:56:24 GMT
We could start up a few international toxic dumps while we're at it, imagine all the jobs they'd create.
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Post by ballyboy on Mar 26, 2013 13:28:31 GMT
Ah Joe, you'll have to do better than that, scare tactics won't work on me, anyway we have enough toxic dumps of our own, there still trying to clean up the one in Kerdifstown Naas. You don't seem to mind exporting our young people to the UK, I can only assume you have a job and don't have much though for those who don't
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jc
Junior Member
Posts: 105
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Post by jc on Mar 26, 2013 14:22:35 GMT
Like Ros I'm surprised to see such interest in this debate all of a sudden!! I'm personally with Ballyboy and Ros on this one. If they can be built in locations that don't interfere with existing homes etc. then why not! The article above from forester mainly refers to off-shore wind farms which will have no impact on people's houses. I quite like the look of wind turbines anyway. Others talked about no irish companies - see article today in relation to this - www.rte.ie/news/business/2013/0326/378432-gaelectric-wind-electricity/ A few have asked about the economic benefit to Ireland. It would mainly be the rent that the companies would pay to Ireland. Landowners would do very well out of long leases on their properties and if they have no other use (like depleted bogs) then great.
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Post by grainnewhale on Mar 26, 2013 16:10:13 GMT
Just to add that none of these turbines will be built in Ireland, they will be assembled by specialist staff. The access road will be of broken stone - maybe sourced locally. Specialist staff will take readings and maintain these turbines. And of course the profit will go elsewhere.
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Post by ballyboy on Mar 26, 2013 19:58:54 GMT
What about the concrete grainne, the structural steel, steel tiers, shuttering carpenters, the heavy plant ie cranes, diggers, dump trucks all requiring drivers, site engineers, the'' broken stone'' you refer to has to be quarried and hauled and it will be sourced locally as I don't envisage it coming in by boat/plane, the legal carry trade and last but not least the return of the jumbo breakfast roll, the benefits are great. I don't know what you do for a living but all my working life I have done so in the knowledge the as much as I was getting and sometimes it wasn't much I was making money for somebody else, I was also paying VAT, P35, C45 and corporation tax to the state, I am quite prepared given the opportunity to do that all over again. We live and work in a capitalist economy it all revolves around profit, some people have the ability to make more of it than others, that's life
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Post by joepublic on Mar 26, 2013 20:04:07 GMT
The Gaelectric scenario is completely different to the UK deal. No revenue for generated electricity will go to Ireland with the UK deal whereas Gaelectric will be subject to the normal taxes on electricity provided. The whole thing just smells of the quick get rich deals done during the building boom with no plans for the future. Fair play to a few who may get short term employment during the building phase but the country will not gain in the long term.
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forester
Full Member
''yipee'' i'm through
Posts: 1,252
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Post by forester on Mar 26, 2013 20:44:18 GMT
The Gaelectric scenario is completely different to the UK deal. No revenue for generated electricity will go to Ireland with the UK deal whereas Gaelectric will be subject to the normal taxes on electricity provided. The whole thing just smells of the quick get rich deals done during the building boom with no plans for the future. Fair play to a few who may get short term employment during the building phase but the country will not gain in the long term. i agree with joep, on this one--in years to come ireland will be known as the ''backyard'' for england.
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Post by ballyboy on Mar 26, 2013 21:14:09 GMT
Joe can I draw your attention to the comment at the bottom of you posts, do you actual believe in those sentiments, if you do it doesn't show. There are lots of wounds to heal in our nation and there is also lots of lessons to be learned, if we fear the future because of what happened in the past well our little country is doomed to failure. We can never be self sustainable, it would be great if we could build these projects ourselves and get all of the benefits but we can't and I have no doubt we would agree on the reasons for this, somebody else is paying for the infrastructure and they want a return for their money, that's perfectly understandable from where I'm sitting, when the leases run out, they are on a 25 years basis we are then in the driving seat, now I won't be around for that but my children and grandchildren will that's when Ireland will benefit most, do try and see the bigger picture
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Post by joepublic on Mar 26, 2013 22:38:46 GMT
I do believe in those sentiments, maybe I should add another to qualify the first two - possibly something like - learn from your mistakes.
In 25 years time wind energy might very well be old hat and wave energy could be way more cost effective or even something completely different. Don't be fooled by such statements, that's like something you say to children and hope they forget or at least keep them off your back for a while. After 25 years the windmills might be in such a useless state that it will cost us many millions to get rid of them.
Why did Austria score in extra time? Did you see it coming? There wasn't much they could do about it because it was a game. The future of the country need sure footed planning using best practices and not long distance bets or promises based on today's technology.
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Post by ballyboy on Mar 27, 2013 0:53:15 GMT
Why did Austria score, the scored because we retreated and did not push on when we had the chance, somebody needed to grab the game by the scruff of the neck in the second half and lead the team. most said the guy to do that was on the bench, we'll never know because he wasn't given the chance, the guy we pay to make the decisions was way to conservative, listening to the pundits and the commentators, they all saw it coming and so did I. The same principle applies here, we have an opportunity lets take it, don't be overly conservative, lets grab the game by the scruff of the neck, as for the turbines been obsolete down the road, you could say the same thing about any form of technology, you just make sure that the people who put them up foot the bill for them coming down if need be. Back when the rural electricity was first introduced the same conservatism prevailed, it didn't last long when people saw the benefits.
I may be wrong but it seems form the tone of your last post that you think I'm being condescending, that was not my intention
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Post by joepublic on Mar 27, 2013 9:20:57 GMT
No you didn't get to me yet Generally on forums it's not encouraged to attack a poster as it only leads to mud slinging. Anyway I guess Pat Rabbitte & Co. has signed the deal and not likely there are decommissioning costs included if even required.
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Post by grainnewhale on Mar 27, 2013 9:42:32 GMT
What about the concrete grainne, the structural steel, steel tiers, shuttering carpenters, the heavy plant ie cranes, diggers, dump trucks all requiring drivers, site engineers, the'' broken stone'' you refer to has to be quarried and hauled and it will be sourced locally as I don't envisage it coming in by boat/plane, the legal carry trade and last but not least the return of the jumbo breakfast roll, the benefits are great. I don't know what you do for a living but all my working life I have done so in the knowledge the as much as I was getting and sometimes it wasn't much I was making money for somebody else, I was also paying VAT, P35, C45 and corporation tax to the state, I am quite prepared given the opportunity to do that all over again. We live and work in a capitalist economy it all revolves around profit, some people have the ability to make more of it than others, that's life All of that work for the foundations will be done by a contractor who has been signed up for the contract. There will be very few locals employed, maybe a job in site security.
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Post by ballyboy on Mar 27, 2013 11:46:53 GMT
No contractor has been appointed yet and won't be for a while, the main contractor will probably be based outside Ireland, this is not a bad thing as you stand a better chance of being paid, Irish main contractor aren't the most honourable, the subbies will be Irish, I know this because the bio plant contracts manager for the first power station in the midlands has been appointed and we have already spoken to him and are in the running, we are not a security company
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Post by grainnewhale on Mar 27, 2013 12:05:50 GMT
No contractor has been appointed yet and won't be for a while, the main contractor will probably be based outside Ireland, this is not a bad thing as you stand a better chance of being paid, Irish main contractor aren't the most honourable, the subbies will be Irish, I know this because the bio plant contracts manager for the first power station in the midlands has been appointed and we have already spoken to him and are in the running, we are not a security company Really you are deluded, I've worked with many Irish contractors over the years (Gem, Uniform Construction, Ganson, Tolmac, Townlink, Fal-Clar, Sisk, etc) on a professional basis and I've found them to be excellent.
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