North Wales offshore wind farm gets greenlight

The UK Government has given Npower Renewables Ltd the go ahead to build and operate Gwynt y Mor offshore wind farm.

The farm, situated 13 miles out to sea, has consent for up to 250 turbines of between three and five megawatts (MW). Combined, these would be capable of generating enough electricity to power the average annual needs of around half a million homes.

Gwynt y Mor is the latest in a spate of Government go-aheads for offshore wind farms, a renewable energy sector that since a few weeks ago the UK leads the world in.

Announcing the Gwynt y Mor greenlight, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said it would help turn North Wales into a “powerhouse for renewable energy”.

“The UK is leading the world in offshore wind, and the developments off the coast of North Wales will help keep us front runners,” said Miliband.

Gwynt y Mor is the largest of four offshore wind farms off the coast of North Wales, which combined will have the potential to power the equivalent of around 680,000 homes with green electricity.

Npower Renewables, said it expected to start offshore construction works on Gwynt y Mor in 2011, with final commissioning in 2014.

The company, which is owned by RWE Innogy, already runs the nearby North Hoyle wind farm, a 60 MW scheme, now operational, and Rhyl Flats, a 90 MW scheme currently under construction.

It is also involved in the construction of the 500 MW Greater Gabbard wind farm, off the coast of Suffolk, which is scheduled to be completed in 2011. 

Paul Cowling, managing director of Npower Renewables, said the company was committed to spending “one billion euros across Europe on renewables every year until 2012”.

The UK Government has set a target to supply 10 per cent of its electricity from renewables by 2010, and 15 per cent by 2015, with wind set to drive the shift to renewables.

Gwynt y Mor brings the total offshore wind projects with planning approval in the UK to 4.5 GW.

“The offshore sector remains vibrant, with the total capacity installed expected to grow to 1.8 GW within the next 24 months,” said a spokesman for the British Wind Energy Association.

The other offshore wind farm off the coast of North Wales is Burbo Bank, a 25 turbine array being developed by Denmark’s DONG Energy.

At the end of October, the UK Government consented to Centrica’s proposed 250 MW Lincs project off the Lincolnshire coast. The company has just completed major construction work on its 194 MW Lynn and Inner Downsing wind farms.