Just shortly after the world's largest offshore wind farm, the London Array, has been completed off the coast of the UK, plans for yet another giant offshore wind farm have been submitted.
A planning application for a new 1.2GW project off the coast of Anglia has been sent today to the National Infrastructure Directorate for approval.
The venture, known as East Anglia Offshore Wind (EAOW), is backed by the Swedish Utility Vattenfall and Scottish power, and if approved will become the world's largest offshore wind farm, beating the London Array by 200MW. It will provide power to an estimated 770,000 homes, and include 325 wind turbines, three offshore collector stations, and two offshore convertor stations.
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If approved construction can begin in 2016, with the first turbines going operational and supplying power to the grid by 2018. This late date will enable the project to benefit from the government's new clean energy support regime which is detailed in the new Energy Bill and comes into effect in 2017.
Andy Paine, the programme director for EAOW, stated that, "this is the largest renewable energy project that either Vattenfall or ScottishPower Renewables are developing anywhere in the world. We are delighted to have achieved this major milestone today, following three years of detailed planning and community consultation. East Anglia ONE is a major project that could make a significant contribution to the UK's carbon reduction targets, and is larger than any offshore wind farm currently in operation."
By. Charles Kennedy of Oilprice.com
Charles is a writer for Oilprice.com More