Posted on 07/15/2003 1:30:50 AM PDT by bruinbirdman
Plans to make Britain the world's largest generator of electricity from offshore wind were announced by the Government yesterday.
The next generation of offshore wind farms will be made up of hundreds of individual turbines up to 260ft high. The latest round of wind farms will be built in three areas of shallow water in the Thames estuary, the Wash and the North West.
Patricia Hewitt, the Trade Secretary, announced the leasing of the sea bed in the three areas through the Crown Estate. Firms will have three months to submit bids.
The Government says it has received sufficient interest from companies and the City to build offshore wind farms with the potential to provide power for one in six households, creating more than 20,000 jobs in redundant ship, oil and gas yards.
It is expected that 2.5 to three gigawatts of electricity, enough to power nine million households or enough for the needs of Greater London, twice the population of Scotland or three times the population of Wales, will be generated by the farms by 2010.
Officials say there has been four times the expected interest from the industry for building offshore, even though the giant wind farms will be built without subsidy.
The interest adds up to 23 gigawatts of capacity, but some wind farms are expected to fall short of funding or to encounter environmental problems. A total of four to six gigawatts is expected to be built, the equivalent of up to 5.5 per cent of energy requirements.
The main power generators are interested as they face fines if 10 per cent of their power is not derived from renewable resources by 2010.
The first round of offshore wind farms, limited to 30 turbines each, was announced in December 2000 and should amount to 500 turbines with the capacity to heat a city the size of Greater Manchester.
Eight wind farms are now being built as a result of the first round. The first, at North Hoyle, off North Wales, is expected to start producing power this year.
The Institution of Civil Engineers expressed delight at the Government's plans but said that wind alone could not meet energy requirements because it was variable, unlike the nuclear power which provided the present baseload.
The Government has yet to work out how to replace the ageing Magnox nuclear reactors which are due to be decommissioned by 2010.
Tom Foulkes, the institution's director general, said: "We must not lose sight of the fact that the wind only blows a third of the time and cannot ever be expected to supply the major proportion of the nation's energy requirement."
The institution called for investment in clean coal technology and nuclear capacity.
Marcus Rand, the British Wind Energy Association's chief executive, said: "This is fantastic news. Successful projects from this round could account for over half the Government's 10 per cent target."
The association published a new opinion poll showing that three out of four electricity bill payers supported the increased use of wind power.
Tim Yeo, the Conservative trade spokesman, said: "Offshore wind cannot be economic without a big subsidy from the taxpayer and a backup system to ensure power supply continues when the offshore generators fail to meet demand."
25 February 2003: Protests grow over threat of noise pollution
25 February 2003: Devon wins fight against wind farm
13 February 2003[Gardening]: An ill wind for wildlife?
3 February 2003[Money]: Rich UK climate triggers bloom of wind farms
12 October 2002[Travel]: Giant wind farm will keep tourists away, warn Scots operators
12 August 2001[Opinion]: The sad truth about wind power
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