BABCOCK Marine want to build a wind turbine at Rosyth Dockyard that would be 149 metres tall.

It would provide electricity from a renewable source, with an expected carbon dioxide saving of 2,384 tonnes a year, but would dominate the skyline and be visible from up to 20 miles away.

There are also concerns about an adverse effect on birds at the Forth and their planning agent, RSK Environment Ltd, said: "On the basis of the information gathered to date, it is not possible to rule out the possibility of significant effects arising as a result of the proposed development at this stage."

Babcock want to use cranes to assemble a three-bladed wind turbine on land to the west of the dockyard's main buildings.

The company are pursuing renewable energy sources and already have a separate planning application for two solar farms at Rosyth.

The proposed site for the turbine site is mostly areas of hardstanding, which are used for temporary storage, and Fife Council have been asked if an environmental impact assessment will be required for the planning process.

Electrical transformers would be placed close to the structure and the anticipated total annual output would be 11,721MWh (megawatt-hours).

On average, one MWh can provide around 300 homes with electricity for an hour.

RSK said they took into account a range of factors, including noise, traffic and transport, shadow flicker, aviation, ecology, ornithology, contaminated land, flood risk and drainage, landscape and visual, archaeology and cultural heritage and telecommunications.

Their report said: "It is anticipated that the proposed development would not result in any likely significant environmental effects, except for on ornithology and landscape and visual."

It added that a year of vantage point surveys should be carried out to "confirm whether significant effects might occur" and that mitigation measures could be agreed.

On the 149m height of the turbine – for comparison, the wind turbine at the nearby TechnipFMC site in Dunfermline is 100m high and taller than the Wallace Monument – and its visual impact, RSK's report admits "there would potentially be visibility of the proposed development at distances of greater than 30km".

However they added it is "predicted to have a minor effect on key views as it would be seen as a distant feature, in the industrial context of the port".