Donald Trump has long expressed disdain for wind farms, frequently dismissing them as ‘windmills’ and criticizing their appearance and noise.
It’s possible that Trump felt a sense of vindication upon learning that his visit to Scotland last summer disrupted the operations of a company involved in their installation.
Fred Olsen Renewables, which manages approximately 260 turbines across Scotland, faced significant disruptions when Trump revealed his plans for a four-day visit.
The enterprise had arranged for police escorts to assist in transporting large turbine blades to its Crystal Rig IV wind farm located near Dunbar in East Lothian.
However, the increased security requirements for Trump’s visit in July of the previous year forced Police Scotland to cancel its commitment to escort the equipment.
This cancellation led to a five-week delay in the company’s project timeline.
It only managed to get back on track with its project by implementing double shifts.
The delivery and movement of wind turbines has required a police escort on at least 3,636 occasions in Scotland since 2017-18.
However, the true figure will be far higher due to the way the movement of other wind farm equipment is recorded.
President Trump at the opening of his Aberdeenshire golf course
President Trump has been a regular critic of wind turbine developments
Police Scotland has previously said that because escorting abnormal loads is not a core part of its duties, it relies on ‘specially trained officers undertaking these tasks on rest days’.
The force can recoup money for journeys that take more than an hour from the hauliers transporting the parts.
The size of turbines has also grown since their initial introduction, with turbine blades now measuring more than half the length of a football pitch.
Mr Trump has long been a critic of wind farms – which he mockingly refers to as ‘windmills’.
He has tried to block turbines being built alongside his golf course in Aberdeenshire and has accused Scottish wind of ‘ruining your beautiful fields and valleys and killing your birds’.
Earlier this week, he criticised Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, saying it was ‘absolutely crazy’ not to boost oil and gas extraction in the North Sea and focus instead on renewable energy.
He said: ‘You’re windmilling your country to death. Open up the North Sea. You have one of the greatest sources of energy in the world.’
Donald Trump and Prime Minister Keir Starmer walk from Marine One, as they arrive at Trump International Golf Links at Balmedie, Aberdeen
The president enjoyed a four-day private trip to Scotland last July, during which he played golf at his Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire, and his Trump Turnberry course in Ayrshire.
He also held meetings with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
The visit required a huge security operation costing more than £20million. During his round at Turnberry Mr Trump was surrounded by a 28-golf buggy cavalcade of staff, secret service agents and advisers, as well as dozens of police officers. Miles of temporary 10ft fences with ultra-fine mesh kept protesters away.
A spokesman for Fred Olsen said: ‘During the construction of the Crystal Rig IV windfarm last September, the large-scale policing operation associated with the Presidential visit led to the temporary redeployment of specialist police escorts — a particular requirement of Scotland’s abnormal load system — causing short-term disruption to turbine deliveries.
‘We worked closely with contractors to re-sequence logistics and the construction schedule, keeping the project on track.
‘While this approach is clearly vital for public safety, there may be an opportunity in future to explore alternative escort models, similar to those used elsewhere in the UK, to help maintain delivery momentum without compromising safety as the pace of the energy transition accelerates.’
