New Offshore Wind Farms Around The UK
The UK is the windiest country in Europe which makes it an ideal location for offshore wind farms. The new generation of turbines have a lifespan of 20 years and require around 40 hours of maintenance per year. In the last 20 years, the power production delivered by turbines has increased by a factor of 100. 84% of the global wind industry is based in Europe.
Warwick Energy have a proposal for the Dudgeon wind farm, 32 kilometers off the Norfolk coast. This farm could produce up to 560MW of energy from around 168 turbines, covering 35 square kilometers. After a consultation with local residents, 75.8% supported the project and only 4.6% were against the proposals.
The Thanet offshore wind farm is 11km off Foreness Point, Kent. It is under construction and is expected to be completed in 2010. This facility will generate around 300MW from 100 turbines, enough to power 240,000 homes. The site will boost the UKs wind generation by 30% and will be the largest wind farm in the world. It cost £780 million, and is likely to provide jobs in the local area. The turbines are up to 115 metres tall, and are spaced in a 500x800 metre grid system.
Also scheduled for completion in 2010 is the Greater Gabbard wind farm. The site is located near two sandbanks called the Inner Gabbard and The Galloper. It will have 140 turbines, creating 500MW, enough for 530,000 homes. The construction has been delayed slightly, as the pilings the turbines stand on were found to have some faults.
The London Array is a consortium planning the most ambitious of all offshore wind projects. DONG Energy, E.ON and Masdar will invest €2.2bn in building the first phase of the project. The site is located off the East coast of Essex, and the first phase will see 140 turbines built, generating 630MW. The expected completion of the first phase is 2012, with the second phase bringing the total power generation up to 1,000MW.
This interactive map shows the current offshore wind farms, and the proposed sites for new ones. The four sites mentioned in this article can all be found on the map.
Image © GE Wind Energy
Published - Tue 20th Oct 2009 20:34:57
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Comments about 'New Offshore Wind Farms Around The UK'
Wouldn't those be affected by storms or typhoons? Oh, wait you don't have typhoons in the UK, do you? Regardless, it is indeed a clean source of energy.
Posted on Sat, 24 Oct 2009 03:57:32
Sam Cheney
They also tend to stall if there's too much wind. It'll be interesting to see how they cope as the climate continues to change.
Posted on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:06:25
MAS
Good Luck with the sea-based wind farms! We tried that here in the USA, but the Kennedy family had the project killed because it was too close to their home.
Posted on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 15:32:04