DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
AND CLIMATE CHANGE News Release (Reference: 2008/020) issued by COI
News Distribution Service. 3 December 2008
Potential for more
than a half million homes to be powered from wind
The world's second largest offshore wind farm has been given
the green light to be built off the coast of North Wales.
Gwynt y Mor Offshore Wind Farm combined with three other nearby
wind farms off the North Wales coast will provide enough clean,
green electricity to power the equivalent of 680,000 homes.
The 750MW development by Npower Renewables Ltd has been approved
by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC). Comprising
of up to 250 turbines, it will lie some eight miles off the coast,
ten miles from Llandudno and eleven miles from the Wirral.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said:
"The North Wales coast is set to become a powerhouse for
renewable energy. Gwynt y Mor will be the largest of four offshore
wind farms which combined will have the potential to power the
equivalent of around 680,000 homes with green electricity.
"The UK must clean up its energy supply to fight the
damaging effects of climate change and more wind power will help
us do this.
"The UK is leading the world in offshore wind, and the
developments off the coast of North Wales will help keep us front runners."
A spokesperson for the British Wind Energy Association said:
"This is fantastic news. Gwynt y Mor is a landmark project
both for Wales and the United Kingdom as a whole. It brings the
total offshore projects with planning approval to 4.5 GW,
solidifying UK's position as leader in offshore wind energy.
It will also set us well on our way towards reaching our 2020
renewable energy targets.
"The offshore sector remains vibrant, with the total
capacity installed expected to grow to 1.8 GW within the next 24
months. The momentum is now behind wind as a viable source of
sustainable energy, and the Government and industry must continue
to work together in order to deliver projects both on and offshore."
Gwynt y Mor is the latest wind farm to be approved off the North
Wales coast. North Hoyle (30 turbines) and Burbo (25 turbines) are
already up and running, Rhyl Flats (25 turbines) is into the
latter half of its construction phase.
A map of the four wind farms can be found at http://www.npower-renewables.com/gwyntymor/location.asp.
In granting approval, DECC took into account both the distance of
the development from the shore and work Npower Renewables Ltd had
done to minimise the visual impact.
Notes to Editors
1. Consent has been granted to Npower Renewables Ltd for the
750MW Gwynt y Mor wind farm under Section 36 of the 1989
Electricity Act.
2. The wind farm has also been granted a licence from the Welsh
Assembly Government under the Food and Environment Protection Act
1985 and another consent from the Marine and Fisheries Agency
under the Coast Protection Act 1949.
3. North Hoyle, Rhyl Flats and Gwynt y Mor are all projects being
managed by npower renewables. Burbo Bank Offshore Wind Farm is
managed by DONG Energy.