Green light for world’s biggest offshore wind farm

• 9 years ago (2015-02-18)
• Junior Isles

Europe 1089 Renewables 776

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Plans for the world’s biggest offshore wind farm have been given the go ahead. The Dogger Bank wind farm with an array of up to 400 turbines, 80 miles off the Yorkshire coast, is expected to cost £6-8 billion and could meet 2.5 per cent of the UK’s electricity needs.

Dogger Bank has long been mooted as a possible location for offshore wind farms because the shallow seabed, only about 30 m deep, should make it easier to lay foundations and construct large turbines there, but no company has yet ventured into the area.

Covering about 430 square miles, the Dogger Bank project will, if fully constructed, generate enough electricity to power nearly 2m homes and could support an estimated 900 jobs in Yorkshire and Humberside , according to the government.

UK energy and climate change secretary Ed Davey said: “Making the most of Britain’s home grown energy is creating jobs and businesses in the UK, getting the best deal for consumers and reducing our reliance on foreign imports. Wind power is vital to this plan, with £14.5 billion invested since 2010 into an industry which supports 35 400 jobs.”

However construction of the first turbines could still be years away. The Forewind consortium, which is behind the 2400 MW project, has yet to make a final investment decision. The consortium comprises Scottish and Southern Energy, Germany’s RWE, and Norwegian companies Statoil and Statkraft both.

While receiving planning permission may encourage a positive decision, the falling oil price and uncertainty over what may happen to wind energy subsidies after the general election make long-term investments in the sector more fraught.