Let's be realistic about what this Biomass Power Station would mean:
- The plant would generate approximately 50 MW of thermal heat which means that there would be up to 15MW of electrical energy and approximately 35 MW of wasted heat of which some 8 MW would be used by the distillery in the form of steam - therefore this is not a small plant
- This size of power station would require 180,000 - 200,000 tonnes of wood per year
- 25 lorries per day (estimated by Estover) delivering to the plant (a total of 50 lorries along the B9102/A941/A95)
- The construction of the plant is likely to be by the German manufacturer, Standardkessel, therefore there would be little local employment during the construction phase. Similar sized biomass power stations employ between 10 - 20 people to operate the plant, which calls into question Estover's promise of approximately 140 jobs for the area
- Chimney Height = 40 Metres (a mature Scots pine is only 25Metres high)
- Boiler Hall = 57 Metres in length x 20 Metres in width x 32 Metres in height (higher than Elgin Cathedral)
- 24 Hours per day / 7 Days per week operation
- Noise & Light Pollution
- The claim by Estover that wood could be sourced locally is highly questionable. The supply within a 50 mile radius over a 25 year period would be in competition with other biomass plants and other industries which use the same wood resources
- 10 Acres of young woodland trees would have to be felled in order to accommodate the plant and storage areas
- The intended location is not in a "brown field" site, but a beautiful "greenfield site" which is on the Moray Council Plan as an Area of Great Landscape Value
- This would be visible from Aberlour, Craigellachie and the Archiestown road and would impact visually on the landscape, which is what makes Speyside so popular together with it's history of whisky making and fishing along the River Spey
- During the 18 month construction period there would be devastating consequences for wildlife, most notably the red squirrel population
