An independent review has been commissioned into ways of reducing the ground vibration reaching the Eskdalemuir seismic array, the installation that gives Britain its contribution to global nuclear test detection, and it covers putting sensors down boreholes and processing the signal differently, according to answers given in Parliament.
Luke Akehurst, the Labour member for North Durham, put four questions to the Ministry of Defence on the array, its monitoring equipment and the restrictions it places on wind farm development nearby.
Luke Pollard, Minister of State for Defence Readiness and Industry, said: “Monitoring equipment at the Eskdalemuir Seismometer Array is continually reviewed to ensure it meets national requirements and the requirements of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty Organisation International Monitoring System.
“There is currently an ongoing independent review of mitigation proposals for reduction of seismic ground vibration received at the Eskdalemuir seismic array and the effect on the detection capability of the array, commissioned by the Ministry of Defence and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero. This includes a review of borehole emplacement and digital signal processing approaches.”
Asked when the science behind the restrictions on wind energy development around the array was last independently reviewed, Pollard said: “The current methodology used to assess the impact of wind turbines on the Array’s ability to detect underground seismic events has been developed using specialist scientific advice and remains the basis for safeguarding decisions. The methodology itself was retained as part of the revised safeguarding approach published in March 2026 following public consultation.”
On whether upgrading the array could allow more onshore wind to be built, Pollard said: “The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has worked closely with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNEZ) over onshore wind deployment in the vicinity of the Eskdalemuir Seismic Array, which supports the United Kingdom’s obligations under the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. As part of this work, the MOD supported experimental testing of alternative technologies and has considered assessments undertaken by specialist technical advisers and independent seismology experts.
“DESNZ has recently consulted on a revised approach to managing onshore wind turbine interference in the vicinity of the Array. The MOD and DESNZ have also commissioned an independent scientific review of alternative technological solutions.
“Previously, evidence made available to the Department has not demonstrated that proposed alternative technological solutions provide viable mitigation for operational use. The consultation responses and independent scientific review are currently being considered and DESNZ will publish a government response reflecting the outcome of both processes soon.”
Eskdalemuir sits in Dumfriesshire and feeds the International Monitoring System run by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation in Vienna, which watches for the seismic signature of an underground nuclear explosion anywhere in the world. Turbine blades and towers transmit vibration into the ground, and that noise competes with the signals the array is there to hear. A safeguarding zone restricts development around the site, and that zone has become contested as onshore wind expands across southern Scotland.
