[Innes Rothach - Preseantair] Feasgar math. Tha dragh air nochdadh mu bhuaidh an dàil ann a bhith a’ cur càball-dealain eadar Leòdhas is Tìr-mòr air leasaichean cumhachd ath-nuadhachail anns na h-Eileanan. Tha e a’ tighinn am follais às aonais ceann susbainteach leis a’ ghrid nàiseanta nach cruthaich tuath-gaoithe a thathas a' togail air mòinteach a’ Phentland ach cuibhreann dhen dealan a bha daoine a’ sùileachadh. Ag aithris à Steòrnabhagh, seo Alasdair Friseil.
[Alasdair Friseil – Neach-aithris] Cha deach pròiseact ath-nuadhachail cho mòr ri tuath-gaoithe a’ Phentland air iomall Steòrnabhaigh a chur air chois anns na h-Eileanan roimhe seo. An-diugh, ràinig a’ phròiseact ìre chudromach eile, agus bonn a’ chiad tùir ga chur an-sàs.
[Dòmhnall MacRisnidh] Rud a chì sibh an sin an-dràsta. ‘S e sin a’ chiad start. Tha sia dhen sin a’ dol an-aìrde an-dràsta, bidh iad an uair sin, iad a’ startadh air an ath section dheth an t-seachdain seo tighinn. Tha crane mòr a’ tighinn – tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gur ann Disathairne.
[Alasdair Friseil – Neach-aithris] Aig an ìre-sa, tha iad an dòchas gun tòiseach an leasachadh air cruthachadh cumhachd anns a’ Mhàrt an ath bhliadhna. Tha e cho mòr agus gun cùm e dealan ri timcheall dusan mìle dachaigh. Ach mura bi ceangal èifeachdach an-sàs thairis air a’ Chuan Siar cha bhi e comasach dhaibh sin a dhèanamh. Tha an dàil anns a’ phròiseact airson càball-dealain fhaighinn eadar na h-eileanan agus tìr-mòr cuideachd a’ toirt buaidh air a’ phròiseact a tha seo. Tha e a’ ciallachadh nach urrainn dhaibh an aon uimhir de dhealan a tharraing às agus a bhathas a’ lùigeachadh. Tha an dàil sin a’ ciallachadh nach urrainn dhan tuath-gaoithe ach trì chairteal dhen chumhachd a chruthachadh – rud a tha na bhriseadh-dùil mòr.
[Iain Moireasdan] Uill, tha daoine a’ faireachdainn gu bheil sin a’ dol a chur cùisean air ais anns na h-Eileanan, gu h-àraidh son na sgeamaichean nas motha a tha cuideachd a’ toirt trioblaid dha na sgeamaichean beaga cuideachd air sgàth gu bheil acasan rudan a dhèanamh an-dràsta airson làimhseachadh a’ ghrid – rud lag a th’ againne sa h-Eileanan agus ‘s e briseadh dùil a th’ ann.
[Alasdair Friseil – Neach-aithris] Feumar a-nis dòighean eile a lorg anns an eadar-ama airson dèiligeadh ris an dealan a thèid a chruthachadh agus na laigsean a tha a’ lìonadh dealan anns na h-eileanan.
[Iain Moireasdan] Aig deireadh an là, feumar a bhith mothachail dhen sin gu bheil connections managed, gu feum na turbines sin a chur dheth aig uairean gum bi iad a’ cur air turbines san Eilean Sgitheanach, mar eisimpleir, agus feumaidh iad lorg dòigh eadar na buidhnean sin air fad, ach nuair a thig an càball, thig adhartas agus faodaidh na turbines sin a bhith a’ ruith tòrr nas fhàide na bhios iad an-dràsta.
[Alasdair Friseil – Neach-aithris] Chan eil fhios le cinnt cuin a thèid càball-dealain a chur an sàs eadar na h-eileanan agus tìr-mòr. Gus an tachair e, tachraidh leasachaidhean mar seo. Alasdair Friseil. BBC An Là, Steòrnabhagh
[Innes Munro - Presenter] Good evening. Concerns has been raised about the effects of the delay in putting an electricity cable, between Lewis and the mainland, on developing renewable power in the islands. It has come to light, without help from the National Grid, that a wind farm on the Pentland road will only generate a fraction of electricity of what people expected. Reporting from Stornoway, here’s Alasdair Fraser.
[Alasdair Fraser – Reporter] There has never been such a renewable project as large as the Pentland Wind-farm on the outskirts of Stornoway, before now. Today, the project reached another important stage and the base of the first tower was erected.
[Donald Macritchie] The thing that you will see there, just now. That’s the first start. Six of them are going up just now; they will then start the next section this coming week. A big crane is coming, I think on Saturday.
[Alasdair Fraser – Reporter] At this stage, they hope that the development will start to generate power in March, next year. It is so big that it will power electricity for around twelve thousand houses. But if there is not an effective link across the Atlantic Ocean, it won’t be viable for them to do this. The delay in the project to get an electricity cable between the islands and the mainland also affects this project. It means that they can’t get the same quantity of electricity that they wanted. This delay means that the wind-farm can generate only three quarters of the power – something which is a great disappointment.
[Iain Morrison] Well, people feel this will put things back in the islands, especially for bigger schemes, but it will also bring trouble for smaller schemes too and because they have to do what they are doing just now to develop the grid, something weak we have in the islands and that is a disappointment.
[Alasdair Fraser – Reporter] There is a need now to find new ways in the interim to deal with power that will be created and weaknesses that are creating electricity in the islands.
[Iain Morrison] At the end of the day, it is necessary to be aware that connections are managed, that the turbines need to be turned off and there are turbines on Skye, for example, and they must find a way between those groups, but when the cable comes, improvement comes and the turbines can run better that they are doing just now.
[Alasdair Fraser – Reporter] It is not known with certainty, when the electricity cable will be put between the islands and the mainland. Until it happens, developments like this will occur. Alasdair Fraser, BBC An Là, Stornoway.
[Innes Rothach - Preseantair] Feasgar math. Tha dragh air nochdadh mu bhuaidh an dàil ann a bhith a’ cur càball-dealain eadar Leòdhas is Tìr-mòr air leasaichean cumhachd ath-nuadhachail anns na h-Eileanan. Tha e a’ tighinn am follais às aonais ceann susbainteach leis a’ ghrid nàiseanta nach cruthaich tuath-gaoithe a thathas a' togail air mòinteach a’ Phentland ach cuibhreann dhen dealan a bha daoine a’ sùileachadh. Ag aithris à Steòrnabhagh, seo Alasdair Friseil.
[Alasdair Friseil – Neach-aithris] Cha deach pròiseact ath-nuadhachail cho mòr ri tuath-gaoithe a’ Phentland air iomall Steòrnabhaigh a chur air chois anns na h-Eileanan roimhe seo. An-diugh, ràinig a’ phròiseact ìre chudromach eile, agus bonn a’ chiad tùir ga chur an-sàs.
[Dòmhnall MacRisnidh] Rud a chì sibh an sin an-dràsta. ‘S e sin a’ chiad start. Tha sia dhen sin a’ dol an-aìrde an-dràsta, bidh iad an uair sin, iad a’ startadh air an ath section dheth an t-seachdain seo tighinn. Tha crane mòr a’ tighinn – tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gur ann Disathairne.
[Alasdair Friseil – Neach-aithris] Aig an ìre-sa, tha iad an dòchas gun tòiseach an leasachadh air cruthachadh cumhachd anns a’ Mhàrt an ath bhliadhna. Tha e cho mòr agus gun cùm e dealan ri timcheall dusan mìle dachaigh. Ach mura bi ceangal èifeachdach an-sàs thairis air a’ Chuan Siar cha bhi e comasach dhaibh sin a dhèanamh. Tha an dàil anns a’ phròiseact airson càball-dealain fhaighinn eadar na h-eileanan agus tìr-mòr cuideachd a’ toirt buaidh air a’ phròiseact a tha seo. Tha e a’ ciallachadh nach urrainn dhaibh an aon uimhir de dhealan a tharraing às agus a bhathas a’ lùigeachadh. Tha an dàil sin a’ ciallachadh nach urrainn dhan tuath-gaoithe ach trì chairteal dhen chumhachd a chruthachadh – rud a tha na bhriseadh-dùil mòr.
[Iain Moireasdan] Uill, tha daoine a’ faireachdainn gu bheil sin a’ dol a chur cùisean air ais anns na h-Eileanan, gu h-àraidh son na sgeamaichean nas motha a tha cuideachd a’ toirt trioblaid dha na sgeamaichean beaga cuideachd air sgàth gu bheil acasan rudan a dhèanamh an-dràsta airson làimhseachadh a’ ghrid – rud lag a th’ againne sa h-Eileanan agus ‘s e briseadh dùil a th’ ann.
[Alasdair Friseil – Neach-aithris] Feumar a-nis dòighean eile a lorg anns an eadar-ama airson dèiligeadh ris an dealan a thèid a chruthachadh agus na laigsean a tha a’ lìonadh dealan anns na h-eileanan.
[Iain Moireasdan] Aig deireadh an là, feumar a bhith mothachail dhen sin gu bheil connections managed, gu feum na turbines sin a chur dheth aig uairean gum bi iad a’ cur air turbines san Eilean Sgitheanach, mar eisimpleir, agus feumaidh iad lorg dòigh eadar na buidhnean sin air fad, ach nuair a thig an càball, thig adhartas agus faodaidh na turbines sin a bhith a’ ruith tòrr nas fhàide na bhios iad an-dràsta.
[Alasdair Friseil – Neach-aithris] Chan eil fhios le cinnt cuin a thèid càball-dealain a chur an sàs eadar na h-eileanan agus tìr-mòr. Gus an tachair e, tachraidh leasachaidhean mar seo. Alasdair Friseil. BBC An Là, Steòrnabhagh
[Innes Munro - Presenter] Good evening. Concerns has been raised about the effects of the delay in putting an electricity cable, between Lewis and the mainland, on developing renewable power in the islands. It has come to light, without help from the National Grid, that a wind farm on the Pentland road will only generate a fraction of electricity of what people expected. Reporting from Stornoway, here’s Alasdair Fraser.
[Alasdair Fraser – Reporter] There has never been such a renewable project as large as the Pentland Wind-farm on the outskirts of Stornoway, before now. Today, the project reached another important stage and the base of the first tower was erected.
[Donald Macritchie] The thing that you will see there, just now. That’s the first start. Six of them are going up just now; they will then start the next section this coming week. A big crane is coming, I think on Saturday.
[Alasdair Fraser – Reporter] At this stage, they hope that the development will start to generate power in March, next year. It is so big that it will power electricity for around twelve thousand houses. But if there is not an effective link across the Atlantic Ocean, it won’t be viable for them to do this. The delay in the project to get an electricity cable between the islands and the mainland also affects this project. It means that they can’t get the same quantity of electricity that they wanted. This delay means that the wind-farm can generate only three quarters of the power – something which is a great disappointment.
[Iain Morrison] Well, people feel this will put things back in the islands, especially for bigger schemes, but it will also bring trouble for smaller schemes too and because they have to do what they are doing just now to develop the grid, something weak we have in the islands and that is a disappointment.
[Alasdair Fraser – Reporter] There is a need now to find new ways in the interim to deal with power that will be created and weaknesses that are creating electricity in the islands.
[Iain Morrison] At the end of the day, it is necessary to be aware that connections are managed, that the turbines need to be turned off and there are turbines on Skye, for example, and they must find a way between those groups, but when the cable comes, improvement comes and the turbines can run better that they are doing just now.
[Alasdair Fraser – Reporter] It is not known with certainty, when the electricity cable will be put between the islands and the mainland. Until it happens, developments like this will occur. Alasdair Fraser, BBC An Là, Stornoway.