NATS recognises the importance of renewable energy and treats every application on its merits. We object only where we believe the turning blades of wind turbines could affect radar performance.
Wind farms operating near airports, or in prominent positions with a line-of-sight to radar installations, can affect radar in a number of ways. By causing 'clutter', where the spinning turbines show up as blips on the radar screen, or by causing shadows, which may obstruct an aircraft being detected by radar.
Government and industry have reached an agreement which aims to remove aviation and radar barriers to the major expansion of wind energy.
A Memorandum of Understanding, signed by government departments, agencies and industry follows the prime minister’s commitment to find a technical solution to aviation and radar objections to wind farms.
In this document, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Transport, the Civil Aviation Authority, NATS and the British Wind Energy Association agreed to:
- Explore innovative technological solutions to air defence and air traffic radar, as well as radar-absorbent wind turbine technology.
- Shorten pre-planning times, by introducing a web-based screening tool for the early stage of planning.
- Establish a new Aviation Management Board which reports directly to ministers.
- Work with industry to establish financial and staffing resources dedicated to finding solutions.
For more technical, specialised detail, click on the link below
