The Scottish Government has just announced its approval to construct a 642ft-tall wind turbine, 115ft off the shore at Methil ("Samsung develops offshore wind site", The Herald, May 8).

This is claimed to be a test facility for newer and larger offshore turbines for South Korea's Samsung Heavy Industries. However, it is being funded by a £6 million grant from Scottish Enterprise.

This is an offshore test facility being tested in a few feet of water in the relative calm of the River Forth within a few hundred yards of a town and paid for by the taxpayer – and all for the benefit of a foreign company.

Thinking about it, this is almost exactly what is going on with onshore turbines – where mostly foreign companies are benefiting from subsidies paid for by electricity consumers to the detriment of those living near the turbines.

When will this madness end? We must be the laughing stock of the world.

GM Lindsay,

Whinfield Gardens,

Kinross.