Offshore Windfarm Blows into Wales

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--RWE npower renewables (Swindon, England), the renewable subsidiary of Germany's RWE Innogy (Essen), has commissioned the largest offshore windfarm in Wales with the opening of the Rhyl Flats windfarm five miles off the northern coast.

The 90-megawatt (MW) windfarm sports 25 3.6-MW turbines from Siemens (NYSE:SI) (Munich, Germany), which are installed in an area of four square miles. The project took 14 months to complete and will provide enough power for more than 61,000 homes, offsetting tens of thousands of tonnes of CO2 emissions, according to RWE. The windfarm started producing its first power in July. For additional information, see related news item from July 15, 2009 - RWE's Rhyl Flats Windfarm Starts Generating Power.

RWE now has 440 MW of installed renewable generating capacity in the U.K., making it one of the country's largest wind energy providers. Alongside 150 MW of offshore capacity, the company has 288 MW of onshore wind facilities and 69 MW of hydropower. RWE supplies about one-third of Wales' power, through seven onshore and two offshore windfarms, two combined heat and power (CHP) plants, seven hydroelectric schemes, and a 1,500-MW coal plant in Aberthaw. The Aberthaw site is also home to RWE's new initiative to create a demonstration carbon capture and storage (CCS) pilot in an effort to garner government funding.

"RWE is moving at a fast pace with the development of renewable energies," commented Dr. Juergen Grossmann, CEO of RWE AG, at the launch. "RWE Innogy is one of the fastest growing companies in this sector in Europe. We intend to have projects with a volume of 10,000 MW in operation by 2020 and are investing 1 billion euros per year."

Secretary of State for Wales Peter Hain added: "I would like to congratulate RWE npower renewables on the completion of Rhyl Flats, so far the largest offshore windfarm in Wales. RWE npower renewables is the biggest developer and operator of renewable projects in Wales, setting an excellent example in the way it uses natural resources. In doing so, RWE makes an important contribution to climate protection and creates numerous jobs in the energy production industry."

RWE already operates the 60-MW North Hoyle windfarm in Wales and has received permission to build the massive Gwynt y Môr windfarm, which will have a capacity of 576 MW. RWE is also a 50% shareholder in Greater Gabbard Offshore Winds Limited with Scottish and Southern Energy plc (OTC:SSEZY) (Perth, Scotland). The company is building the 504-MW Greater Gabbard windfarm, 25 kilometres from Suffolk on the eastern coast of England. The project, which will use 140 3.6-MW turbines from Siemens, will start delivering power to the national grid next year and will be complete by 2012.

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