UK Announces £20 Million For Offshore Wind
Two offshore wind schemes have been given the go-ahead in the UK. £20 million of government support (~US$32 million), announced on 2 October, will be divided equally between offshore wind farms off the coast of North Wales (North Hoyle, near Rhyl) and the coast of Norfolk on the UK's east coast. The former is being developed by National Windpower, and will result in 30 wind turbines off the North Wales coast with a total capacity of up to 90 MW. Powergen, meanwhile, will develop the Norfolk project, to consist of 39 turbines with a total capacity of up to 80 MW. The developers estimate that schemes will provide renewable electricity for 100,000 homes.
These are the first projects from the 18 potential sites identified by offshore wind developers around the UK to have gained all the necessary consents. The offshore wind capital grants programme has increased from £68 million to £74 million (~$105 million to $115 million) over three rounds of funding.
The government has also launched new guidance to developers on where to locate their wind farms to avoid interfering with military and civil aviation operations, such as radar functions and low-flying military aircraft.
Brian Wilson, the UK's Minister for Energy, commented that 'there has never been production of renewables technologies on such a scale on British soil before. The greatest benefit from developing our sustainable technologies is the possibility of a UK green manufacturing base.' The government is expecting to create a market of £2 billion per year (~$3 billion) for renewable energy by 2010, based on its recently introduced Renewables Obligation, with a target of 10% renewables electricity by the end of the decade.
jxj.com
It's a good thing that others don't have the "one new coal-fired plant a week" mentality that Cheney and Thomas Watson have, huh?
Del |
