Planning permission granted for East Anglia offshore windfarm

Business secretary Greg Clark has granted consent for offshore wind turbines with a tip height of 247m for the East Anglia THREE project, which will have a total output of up to 1200MW. This output would require up to 172 individual turbines across an area of 305 km², 69 km east of Great Yarmouth. A company spokesman told The Engineer that no decision had yet been taken on the source of the turbines.

ScottishPower Renewables chief executive Keith Anderson commented the cost of offshore wind has tumbled in recent years, with electricity prices from East Anglia THREE projected to be £119 MW/hr.

“Offshore wind has delivered on its promises from the outset. Our sector has met every technical and political challenge, grown the UK’s supply chain, and improved the technology at a rapid pace to allow projects to be deployed in ever harsher conditions,” Anderson said. “At the same time, the level of cost reductions achieved would more commonly be seen in consumer electronics. No other sector ticks all of the boxes in its ability to support the government’s plans for rebalancing the economy and promoting economic diversity through the Industrial Strategy."