World’s Largest Windfarm Opens Off England’s Eastern Coast, Focus Reports
Release Date: 2010-09-23
On September 23rd, United Kingdom officials announced the opening of the world’s largest offshore windfarm, built 12 km (7.5 mi) off the coast of the Thanet district of East Kent, England. The site, constructed by Swedish energy company Vattenfall, boasts 100, 115 m (380 ft) tall turbines, and encompasses an area of approximately 35 sq km (21.8 sq mi). With a working capacity of 300 megawatts — dependent on wind conditions — Vattenfall claims that the farm’s yearly output should provide enough electricity to power an equivalent of 200,000 homes.The ambitious Thanet project — which took two years to assemble at a cost of £780 million ($1.25 billion) — is an important step in proliferating renewable energy sources in the U.K. Currently, the state draws only 3% of its energy from such sources, ranking 25th of the 27 E.U. nations. By 2020, in order to reach a E.U.-wide target of 20% renewable energy, the U.K. plans to generate at least 15% off its power from wind and other nondepletable resources. Indeed, the Thanet farm, together with other wind-driven energy assets around the U.K., boosts the nation’s capacity for wind energy, at least, to 5 gigawatts — enough to power all of the homes in Scotland.
U.K. Energy Secretary Chris Huhne admitted that the government’s record on green energy has, in the past, been “atrocious.” However, his administration is committed to progressing forward, and Huhne remarked that, with the completion of this windfarm, and other projects in the pipeline, the U.K. is actually “in a unique position to become a world leader in this industry." Huhne stated, “We are an island nation and I firmly believe we should be harnessing our wind, wave and tidal resources to the maximum.”
Craig Bennett, campaigns and policy director for the environmental advocacy group Friends of the Earth, called the project an “important step forward.” However, he echoed Huhne’s sentiments regarding the U.K.’s preceding green energy record, calling it “dismal.” Friends of the Earth believes that the nation should invigorate its renewable resource programs even further than currently planned, and is asking that the government commit to providing at least £2 billion ($3.1 billion) in yearly funding for the Green Investment Bank (GIB). The GIB is an organization that encourages private sector spending on the development and installation of low-carbon technologies.
Vattenfall expects the Thanet windfarm to operate for at least 25 years. Other, yet larger windfarm projects, by Vattenfall and other energy companies, are currently in planning stages.
| Type: | NORMAL |
| Company: | Focus Reports |
| Country: | Switzerland |