Eneco identifies site for UK offshore wind farm

The site for an offshore wind farm with an approximate capacity of at least 900MW has been announced by Eneco.

Eneco has identified an area off the Dorset and Hampshire coasts, and to the west of the Isle of Wight for the project, which the company believes will provide enough power for between 615,000 and 820,000 homes.

In January 2010, The Crown Estate awarded Eneco a 279 square mile area of the seabed to explore the most suitable place to locate the wind park.

Over the past year, Eneco has been appraising the area and has concluded that a project of between 900MW and 1,200MW of capacity could be located in the northern part of the awarded area, a site that covers 76 square miles.

At the closest point, the wind park will be approximately 8.2 miles (13.2km) away from Peveril Point in Swanage. The northern boundary of the site is located 10.2 miles (16.4km) from Bournemouth and 8.4 miles (13.5km) south west of The Needles and the Isle of Wight coast.

Chris Sherrington, director of the project, said: ‘After comprehensively evaluating key aspects of the project in relation to wider stakeholder interests, we have chosen the most suitable location for the wind park. This is an important milestone in the lifetime of the development of this project and enables us to look to the future and consider wider impacts such as the positive economic benefits our project could bring to the area.’

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Potential installed capacity

 

Between 900MW–1,200MW, which is enough renewable power for between approximately 615,000 and 820,000 homes.

Estimated number of turbines

 

900MW using a 6MW turbine would be 150 turbines

1,200MW using 5MW turbine would be 240 turbines

Project area

Approximately 76 square miles or 198km2

 

Water depth (average)Approximately 38m
Distance to shore (from nearest point)8.2 miles or 13.2km

Key dates

 

 

 

 

Development Consent Application submitted to the IPC — 2013

Construction commences — 2016

Wind park becomes fully operational — 2019

Name of wind park

 

Public to decide on the name of the wind park during February/March 2011