World's largest offshore wind farm planned for UK coast

 

May 17, 2007 -- Datamonitor

 

The world's largest offshore wind farm, with a potential generation capacity of 1,500MW, could be build off the coast of North Devon in the UK, it has been reported.

The planned GBP3 billion wind farm will be comprised of 350 wind turbines. It is hoped that the so-called Atlantic Array project will generate enough renewable power to cater for one million homes, the BBC reported.

It is believed that the project could potentially supply 53% of the domestic energy needs of southwest England, which would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 2.3 million tonnes every year, equivalent to over 5% of the southwest's emissions.

The planned location for the plant is 12 miles northwest of Ilfracombe. According to the BBC, the power generated offshore would then be transmitted to shore using submarine cables, before being carried to the existing National Grid substation at Alverdiscott by underground cables.

Devon-based Farm Energy2 has been named as the company behind the initiative. The firm is responsible for the London Array project in the Thames Estuary, which, according to the BBC, is currently the world's largest offshore wind scheme.

The BBC cited Peter Crone, the company's director, as saying: "Atlantic Array would be a landmark project that would see the southwest taking a significant step towards a more environmentally sustainable future."

The BBC said that, although the scheme is still in the early planning stages, if it gains the necessary regulatory approval, it could be generating electricity by 2018.

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