Shale gas sites "create the least visual intrusion"

Energy industry experts have looked at the comparative footprint of a shale gas operation to other sources creating a similar quantity. They compared a shale gas pad (producing 0.9 billion cubic metres of gas over 25 years) with a 174 MW wind farm and a 380 MW solar park (which could each deliver 9.5 TW of electricity over 25 years – being 0.9 billion cubic metres equivalent).

The findings were as follows:

1. Total land area is smallest for the shale gas pad and largest for the wind farm.

2. The land area actually occupied by resources is smallest for the shale gas pad and largest for the solar park. The wind farm had a large amount of empty space e.g. between turbines.

3. For visual intrusion, wind turbines are the tallest and could be seen from up to 170 square km. Shale gas pads create the least visual intrusion but a drilling rig may be in place for the first few years of the operation. The solar panels are the least tall but does occupy much more land (450 times more) than the shale gas pad.

4. In respect of delivery and vehicular movement, all three energy facilities have high requirements. The shale gas pad would require least movement, but if water is required to be piped to and from the site for fracking, then the shale gas facility would require the most movements.