The world is forever changing but when the beautiful South West National Park suddenly gets an unexpected distorted facelift then I believe it’s time to pause and contemplate just where we are going.
I am all for green energy projects, solar panels, wind turbines etc. as supplements to the basic energy supply needs of any country. But there has to be a limit to the visible and environmental distortions that are allowed to be perpetrated when bringing these projects to fruition.
The rolling countryside of the National Park, with its colourful brown, greens, yellows and blacks and purples in abundance doesn’t need any further add-ons to enhance its beauty. The recent erection of two new giant windmills simply spoils the ambiance of place. The presence of two new massive grey 70 meter tall monsters simply destroys the Park’s natural feel. Yes, this time “we have gone a little too far.”
The three old existing wind farms, nestled between the N125 and N268, have, over the years, been absorbed into the landscape. But now they too are now completely overshadowed by the recent erection of their new ginormous neighbours. No longer satisfied with 500 KW towers, EDP has gone overboard. These new much bigger and taller machines, may generate on windy days some 10 times more electricity than their smaller cousins but their domination detracts from the local environment a hundred fold.
For example, the serene old village of Figueria has a new guard which will be forever monitor the lives of its inhabitants and parts of Raposeira and Vila do Bispo are now also under constant surveillance.
I have watched, with some fascination, the erection of these man made monsters over the last month. It began with two large craters being dug. Ten meter long metal plates were then positioned in a circle and an 8 meter wide concrete base poured inside the plates. The two elephant feet were easily shaped and soon ready. The crane then arrived in three sections, carried on an 18-wheel lorry. It was quickly assembled whilst the electric cables were being laid to connect the new towers to the old sub-station.
Some four weeks after the start of the construction the first of the windmill sections and a gearbox housing arrived on site. I marveled that their heavy duty carriers had managed to bring their unwieldy loads unscathed to this isolated location. As I drove into Lagos the next day I did however notice that the incomplete N125 roundabouts had in fact proved a little too tight, and that the odd roadside sign had suffered new bent shafts.
The first section of the 5 meter diameter tower went vertical two days later. After securing it to the concrete base, three men climbed up inside and eventually appeared at the top of the section. When the climbers were in position the crane driver proceeded to perform miracles and presented the upper section to his internal partners, who were peering down from the top. The second section was then quickly aligned and the two sections simply bolted together, bottom to the top and top to bottom. And then there it was, a 70 meter shaft of 5 meters diameter, tapering to around 4 meters at the top. The next day the internal ladder was again in use to get humans skywards. The gearbox housing was then lifted into place, followed by the actual gearbox and dynamo. The propeller was next. It was brought into position by the men hanging out of the housing, ready to slide the lengthy 30 meter propeller into place.
Everything came together very smoothly, with men climbing vertical internal ladders and leaning out 70 meters above the ground, guiding large metal objects into position. Brilliant. Oh, and there wasn’t a Health and Safety Inspector anywhere around.
The second tower was completed in a similar fashion during the next 3 or 4 days later.
Today, two weeks later the two towers remain stationary pondering their lot, guarding the approaches to the South West National Park, ready to turn wind into Watts.
No longer does the visitor simply see the many trees and the beautiful vast expanse of rolling countryside but first their view is drawn immediately to the sight of two enormous stationary metal statues.
These new giants definitely dominate the sky line, changing its outlook and personality.
The regular dog walkers now longer talk about the glorious peace of the place but about the wind speed density requirements necessary to improve generating efficiency, as they stroll pass. And of course further studies on the impact of these two new additions on the local and migrant bird populations will have to be conducted.
We definitely need you Don Quixote.
HIB
