Saturday 11 May 2013

Aberdeen Bay white elephant farm put on hold.

Good news for Aberdeen Bay which had been threatened with an offshore white elephant farm.

"Speculation the project could end up “dead in the water” intensified when Swedish company Vattenfall – Europe’s sixth-largest generator of electricity – announced plans to put its 75 per cent stake in the venture up for sale"

Good luck with getting investment for a white elephant farm. I suspect 'investment' will mean 'more taxpayers money please'

Work only began on the white elephant farm the day beforeon Thursday.

"Lang Banks, director of environmental group WWF Scotland, said: "Donald Trump will probably spill his coffee when he hears that investigation work has begun on this offshore wind test facility. Despite his bluster, it's clear that Scotland has no intention of being held back in its renewables ambitions by the threat of his legal challenge.

I wonder if Mr Banks spilled his skinny latte at the news the following day that the white elephant farm was looking doubtful.

The Aberdeen Bay project has already seen (pdf file) 1800 jobs lost as the nearby golf complex has decided not to expand due to the offshore eyesore.

The oil and gas industry are warning of a manpower crisis in Scotland if more investment isn't put into training. Over 90,000 engineers will be required to meet current and future demand while £230m is wasted on this 'experimental project'.

Offshore windfarms are an expensive disaster and have been scaled back elsewhere in the world as the problems multiplied.

Germany has recently announced the commissioning of 23 coal fired power stations as it's dabbling in onshore and offshore windfarms has proved costly and threatened their crucial energy sector.

It looks like Scotland will continue building these follies while global warming caused by man made CO2 isn't actually happening. The UK met office recently revealed that there's been no increase in global temperatures for nearly 20 years while CO2 emissions worldwide have multiplied.

Yet the 'low carbon' madness goes on.

6 comments:

  1. The Aberdeen Bay project has already seen hundreds of jobs being lost as the nearby golf complex has decided not to expand due to the eyesore offshore.

    What and where are all of these asserted jobs?

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  2. hi cynical..I took my info from the report to the Scottish Government on the effects to the local economy and infrastructure of the golf complex....

    http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/212607/0067709.pdf

    It estimated 400 staff and 1400 local jobs as a knock on effect of the ...

    2 x 18 hole golf courses ( only one built)
    clubhouse and ancillary facilities ( only a changing room built)
    450 room hotel ( not now being built)
    conference centre and spa ( not now being built)
    950 holiday appts ( not now being built)
    36 golf villas ( not now being built)
    500 houses for sale ( not now being built )
    accommodation for 400 staff ( not now being built)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for link which is all based on assertions initially from the Trump organisation. Most of any jobs created would service jobs on the minimum wage supported by a top up from the benefit system giving a negative return on the countries finances.

      The model they are designing on is a failed mortgage (debt) fuelled subsidised by government untaxed profit for a private company.

      Delete
  3. I'm sure the workers would be happier building houses or golf courses than sitting on the dole cynical.

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  4. All fuelled by ever increasing debt on the back of increasing house prices to fund it is just what has been going on for decades, a false economy to suit the banking sector.

    ReplyDelete
  5. hi cynical..the govt seems happy to switch the burden from employers to pay decent wages onto the taxpayer via tax credits. It got worse under Gordon Brown. Millions of workers from Europe can afford to work for the low wages, lowering the wages for folk already working here.
    And it seems the housing sector is being re inflated with low interest rates etc. Like you say..best to let the market settle where it settles ( assuming we really are in a capitalist system - doubtful after the private banks were allegedly 'saved' and other industries were left to collapse)

    ReplyDelete

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