The UK has provided a boost for the offshore wind energy industry by providing consents for two large-scale projects and offering the prospect of increased financial support in a proposed new energy bill.
Energy minister Malcolm Wicks has given the go-ahead to Dong Energy to develop the 450 MW Walney wind farm in the Irish Sea. The project, sited 14 km from Walney Island off the Cumbrian coast, will enter operation in 2013.
Wicks has also given the world’s largest offshore wind project – the 1000 MW London Array – its final consent, giving permission for a 400 kV overhead power line that will connect the project with an on-shore substation in Kent.
The consents came as prime minister Gordon Brown proposed an Energy Bill that would provide incentives for the private sector to invest in renewable energy as well as streamline the planning process for energy projects such as wind. It also contains measures to ‘band’ the Renewables Obligation (RO) in order to provide increased financial support to less developed renewable energy technologies, such as offshore wind.
“Our belief in renewables has been questioned recently by some but actions do speak louder than words,” said Wicks. “We are delivering on our promises to get projects such as Walney and the London Array through the system. The Energy Bill will allow us to increase the amount of backing schemes like this get from the Renewables Obligation.”
The London Array project will be located 20 km off the Kent and Essex coast in the outer Thames Estuary and is being developed by a consortium of Shell Wind Energy, E.On and Dong Energy. The project will consist of up to 341 turbines and will be developed in phases over a four year period.
The Walney wind farm is expected to have between 93 and 152 wind turbines.
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