It is likely that under the UK Government’s Renewable Energy Strategy Plan,  3,000 wind turbines will be installed offshore the UK’s coast line.

It is said that the number of wind turbines is set to quadruple over the next decade under government plans to force through wind farm planning applications.

A Renewable Energy Strategy with wind power as the main focus is at minister’s heart. which is due to be released on Wednesday, 15th July 2009. It will outline Britain’s target how to meet its of a 34 percent cut in CO2 emissions by 2020.

An additional 4,000 additional onshore turbines by 2020 is likely to be included in the Government’s plans. Many may be built at beauty spots and on high ground which would make them visible across miles of open countryside.

Under the proposed plan, 3,000 turbines would be installed at sea — some of them visible from the coast, while others could be up to 100 miles offshore. A multitude of measures are considered by ministers to push wind farm planning applications through more quickly.
wind-turbine-at-sea

93 applications were submitted for onshore wind farms in the past three years and only 35 were approved by local authorities. Another 14 were only passed after an appeal and nearly half of the original applications failed.

The British Government is already putting pressure on councils to approve wind farms and provide guidance which states that applicants should expect “expeditious and sympathetic” treatment.

Just like the new US government, under Barack Obama’s lead, British Ministers will try to get support by claiming that 250,000 “green” British jobs could be created as Britain increases renewable energy from 2 percent to 15 percent by 2020.

However, Britain’s only wind turbine factory, owned by Vestas, the world’s largest turbine manufacturer based in Newport on the Isle of Wight, is due to close this month with the loss of 600 jobs. Any new turbines are likely to be made abroad.
wind-turbine-factory

Vestas Factory to be closed July 2009

The trade union Unison said: “It is criminal to actually have the only wind turbine factory close. The Government should be intervening now.”

Decreasing Wind Speeds Across United States Previous post Decreasing Wind Speeds Across United States
ITM -Power – Energy Companies Look Into A bright Future With New Invention To Store Wind Power Next post ITM -Power – Energy Companies Look Into A bright Future With New Invention To Store Wind Power

One thought on “UK Wind Turbines to Quadruple – Britain’s New Renewable Energy Strategy”

  1. Wind power, both on and offshore must and will play a vital role in the UK’s energy mix, alongside other renewables and energy efficiency. We have 40 % of the European wind resource and yet we are falling shamefully behind other countries when it comes to exploiting the power of the wind. To close the only wind turbine factory in the UK is total madness, when we are urgently in need of more turbines and sustainable, green employment. Too many local planning authorities are taken in by the misleading and unsubstantiated claims made by the anti groups and simply are “not fit for purpose” when it comes to making these important decisions !

Comments are closed.