World's biggest wind farm planned for London

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World's biggest wind farm planned for London

By Helen McCormack

08 June 2005

 

 

Plans have been submitted to build the world's biggest wind farm in

the Thames estuary. It is designed to generate enough electricity to

supply a quarter of London homes.

 

The complex, named the London Array, is predicted to cost £1.5bn to

build and would be capable of meeting 10 per cent of the Government's

target to have 10 per cent of the UK's electricity generated by

renewable energy resources by 2010.

 

If permission is granted to build the farm, 270 turbines, each 300ft

(100m) in height would be constructed over 152 sq miles (245 sq km)

12 miles off the Kent coast. The proposals were submitted by a

consortium formed by the energy companies, Shell, E.On Renewables and

an Anglo-Danish company, Core.

 

They have, however, raised concerns over the possible impact on local

wildlife and the environment. But the director of Friends of the

Earth, Tony Juniper, said that projects such as the London Array

were "urgently required" to tackle the problem of carbon dioxide

emissions.

 

The right to lease the offshore site was secured 18 months ago, but

the group, operating under the company name London Array Ltd, has

only just applied to the government and local planning authorities

for permission to begin building. The application is being opposed by

the Port of London Authority, which says that the layout presents

potential naval hazards.

 

Britain currently has two commercial offshore wind farms, North

Hoyle, off the coast of Rhyl in north Wales and the Scroby Sands

offshore wind farm, near Great Yarmouth. Plans to build others have

been delayed by obstacles including the discovery of flocks of

seabirds in the Irish Sea and uncertainty of funding grid connections.

 

With onshore projects marred by planning problems and difficulties in

acquiring financial backing, the Government is relying on expansion

in offshore wind to meet its renewables target as onshore projects.

 

The consortium hopes to get the go-ahead for the turbines, which will

generate as much as 1,000 megawatts - the equivalent to a large gas

or coal-burning power station and would be supply 750,000 homes - as

early as next year.

 

Its aim is for construction to be completed by 2011.The consortium

says the farm would not be an eyesore, because it is so far out to

sea, and it would result in a reduction of 1.9m tonnes carbon dioxide

emissions each year.

http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/environment/story.jsp?story=645094