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Politics : Rat's Nest - Chronicles of Collapse -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (5495)	2/19/2007 10:38:29 PM
From: Wharf Rat	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 24211

UK wind industry joins energy elite A snowy hill on the outskirts of Stirling in Scotland is the scene of a significant milestone of achievement for the UK wind industry when Secretary of State Alistair Darling switched on the turbine which pushed the UK into position as one of the top seven players in the global wind market. The generation and export to the grid of electricity from the Braes of Doune wind farm places brings the UK's total wind power portfolio to two gigawatts, or 2,000 megawatts, generating sufficient electricity to meet the needs of 1.1 million households - corresponding to a third of London's homes, or almost half the homes in Scotland - and will prevent the emission of over 4 million tonnes of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, equivalent to taking 1.5 million cars off the road. The commissioning of the UK's second gigawatt of installed capacity - only 20 months after commissioning its first and a far cry from the 14 years it took for the industry to achieve it's first - firmly positions the wind industry as a key player in the UK energy market and the UK wind industry as a significant part of a global wind market worth £12 billion last year alone. BWEA Chief Executive Maria McCaffery, who was onsite to witness the commissioning, said: "This is a day for celebrating the achievement of a significant milestone for our industry and underlining the position of wind energy as the true leader in the renewables revolution. There is still much work to do if we are to achieve the Government's target of delivering 10 per cent of our electricity from renewable sources by 2010, but today's news is a tremendous step forward for harnessing our abundant natural resources for clean and sustainable energy production which is essential in overcoming the challenges of climate change and securing energy supply." Secretary of State for Trade and Industry Alistair Darling, said: "Reaching two gigawatts is a significant landmark and the UK wind industry is to be applauded. It reflects the Government's commitment to expanding the UK's renewable energy resource. This is central to our efforts to tackle climate change, highlighted again last week by the UN's International Panel on Climate Change. "We want 20 per cent of our electricity to come from these green sources and we are working hard on removing any barriers to achieving that aim. Wave, tidal and offshore wind power can make a significant contribution in future but onshore wind energy is delivering capacity here and now." With Government's target for 10 per cent of electricity supplies from renewables less than three years away, 2007 is a critical year for the wind industry if it is to meet widely held expectations of it as the main contributor to meeting targets. 771 MW is already under construction but a potential 6 per cent (7.8 GW) of UK electricity supplies is still caught in the planning system from onshore wind projects alone, an issue that needs to be resolved rapidly if the country is to reach 3 gigawatts in record time and keep pace with other the countries flying the renewables flag. Wind energy has now started a major expansion in the UK and will be the single greatest contributor to the Government's 10 per cent 2010 renewable energy target and 20 per cent 2020 renewable aspiration. Together, wind, wave and tidal power can supply 21 per cent of our electricity by 2020, resulting in over £16 billion of investment in the UK. A wind energy capacity of 2 GW provides: 1.5 per cent of UK electricity supply; electricity capacity for 1.1 million homes - 4 per cent of Uk households, or one third or London homes, or almost half of Scottish homes; the equivalent of 4.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emission reduction, equivalent to taking 1.5 million cars off the road Global wind energy capacity statistics: 1. Germany 20,622 MW 2. Spain 11,615 MW 3. US 11,273 MW 4. India 6,053 MW 5. Denmark 3,136 MW 6. Italy 2,123 MW 7. UK 2,016 MW 8. Netherlands 1,564 MW Source: Global Wind Energy Council, Feb 2007. (China coming on strong. Message 22635996 ) The 36 turbine 72 MW Braes of Doune wind farm near Stirling was developed by Airtricity and constructed by Vestas Celtic and Alfred McAlpine. It will generate green electricity for 45,000 Scottish Gas customers. engineerlive.com