Windy purchase

RWE Innogy has acquired more than 20 per cent of the shares of Belgian offshore wind farm developer C-Power.

At present, C-Power is constructing the Thornton Bank wind farm off the Belgian coast. Once completed, it will have a capacity of up to 300MW and is expected to produce around 1,000 gigawatt hours of electricity per year.

The wind farm will be equipped with 60 5MW turbines, the first six of which have already been installed successfully as part of a pilot phase. Another four phases are due to follow by 2013.

The wind farm will meet a substantial part of the Belgian government's target for generating renewable energy, eliminating the 450,000 tons of CO₂ emissions per year that would be produced by a gas-fired power plant of similar capacity.

RWE Innogy already has a strong presence in the offshore wind business in the UK. Aside from the existing 60MW North Hoyle wind farm off the Welsh coast, the company is to commission its second 90MW wind farm - Rhyl Flats -  this year.

The Gwynt y Môr offshore wind farm, also planned off the Welsh coast, will be one of the largest of its kind worldwide, generating 750MW.

The company also has a 50 per cent share in the Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm off England's east coast. Once completed in 2011, this wind farm will have a total capacity of 500MW.