Consortium seeks consent

News

CORE, E.ON UK Renewables and Shell WindEnergy have announced that their consortium, London Array Limited has submitted consents and planning applications for the London Array offshore wind farm project.

CORE Limited,

E.ON UK Renewables

and

Shell WindEnergy

have today announced that their consortium, London Array Limited has submitted consents and planning applications for the

London

Array offshore wind farm project.

If built, the wind farm could generate up to 1,000 megawatts of renewable electricity, which according to a statement is enough for more than 750,000 homes - equivalent to the combined household demand of the counties of Kent and East Sussex, or a quarter of greater London homes. The wind farm will also avoid emissions of up to 1.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year and could make up to 10% of the UK Government’s 2010 renewables targets.

The full development, costing up to £1.5 billion, will require up to 270 wind turbines to generate 1,000 megawatts and would connect into the National Grid’s transmission system in Kent in the south east of England. The turbines would be located in the outer Thames Estuary, more than 20 kilometres offshore and equidistant from the coasts of Essex and Kent.

If consents are granted by national and local government officials, the construction programme envisages London Array being built in up to four phases. The first phase would be commissioned in 2008, with all phases slated for completion by 2010/11. The consortium is hoping for consent to be granted in 2006 to achieve the proposed construction programme.

"The UK is blessed with the best wind resource in Europe,” said Stephen Tindale, Greenpeace Executive Director. “The London Array offshore wind farm, which when complete will be the largest wind farm anywhere in the world, represents a major step forward in harnessing the UK's massive wind resource and will contribute to the UK's efforts to avoid the worst effects of climate change."

Erik Kjær Sørensen, Director of CORE added: “This project will surely, once and for all, bury the myth that wind energy is insignificant. Furthermore it is merely the first of a number of similar sized wind power schemes that will place the

UK

market at the forefront of offshore renewable energy development worldwide."