Wind Power

A super sized wind farm contract has been awarded in the UK. The wind farm is to be located off the East Yorkshire coast and will provide four-per-cent of all electricity demand in the UK.

The Hornsea zone, to be built off the Hornsea coast, will generate 3,000 mega watts and power three million homes.

The Hornsea zone is one of nine offshore wind farms, part of a $162bn project to build up to 5,000 giant wind turbines around Britain’s coast.

One of the companies awarded with the contract is the Smart Wind consortium, a joint venture between Mainstream Renewable Power and Siemens Project ventures. The level of investment is in the region of

The SMart Wind consortium is a joint venture between Mainstream Renewable Power and Siemens Project Ventures and the Hornsea zone level of investment is expected to be in the region of $19bn.

The size of the area is measured at about 1,828 square miles of the UK’s Yorkshire coast - with the nearest turbines believed to be around 50miles into the sea.

By 2020 it is proposed the capacity of off shore wind power generation will exceed supply for a quarter of the UK’s population energy needs.

“In addition, the UK economy will benefit as offshore wind is a growth industry that will create new businesses and jobs as well as attract inward investment. The Crown Estate has the vested rights to develop the UK seabed for renewable energy and will continue to be a co-investor up to the point of consent. Our role now is to work together with our development partners to help deliver the projects”, says Roger Bright CB, chief execcutive of the Crown Estate.

Other areas selected include Moray Firth Zone, Firth of Forth Zone, Dogger Bank Zone, Norfolk Bank Zone, Hastings Zone, West of Isle of Wight Zone, Bristol Channel Zone and Irish Sea Zone.

The nine sites would have the potential to generate 25,000 megawatts of electricity and enough to meet the needs of more than 30million homes, when the wind is blowing.

Richard Claxton, of East Riding Alliance for Climate Action, said: “We have the best renewable energy resources here but we are lagging behind Europe.

“I’m absolutely delighted by these latest proposals.

“In theory, wind energy could power Britain’s homes 10 times over.

“Developers will go where there is plenty of wind and where the sea is shallow.

“We have all the skills in the north of England from the oil and gas industry.

“This presents a huge economic opportunity and East Yorkshire is particularly well placed to take advantage of this.

“We have deep water ports while Goole could be a hub to collect the power.

“There will be plenty of activity around the Humber and we have to take advantage of this.”

The Government also expects the construction of these wind farms could create 60,000 jobs across the country.