Green Light for U.K. Galloper Offshore Windfarm

---

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) - The latest giant offshore windfarm planned for U.K. waters has been given the green light by the government's Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

Scottish and Southern Energy (PINK:SSEZY) (SSE) (Perth, Scotland) and the U.K. arm of German energy major RWE AG (OTC:RWEOY) (Essen, Germany) have been granted permission for the proposed 504-megawatt (MW) Galloper offshore windfarm, located 27km off the coast of Suffolk, near SSE's existing Greater Gabbard offshore windfarm.

Construction is expected to take less than four years with commissioning due in 2017. When complete it will able to generate enough electricity for around 500,000 homes. It will use 140 of Siemens' 3.6 MW wind turbines spread across three areas in water depths of between 24 meters and 34 meters.

"Galloper wind farm will provide large amounts of clean energy, support jobs and generate major investment in Suffolk," noted a Department of Energy and Climate Change spokesperson. "Offshore wind has an important role to play as part of a balanced energy mix. This development will enhance our energy security and help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

The U.K. is aggressively pursuing a major rollout of offshore windfarms that will add tens of thousands of megawatts to the electricity grid in the coming decade. Last month the Crown Estate, which manages the country's seabed, signed a lease for two offshore windfarms located in the Hornsea Zone with a potential capacity of 1,800 MW. For additional information, see May 11, 2013, article - New Leases for U.K. Offshore Windfarms.

Jim Smith, Managing Director, Renewables, at SSE said: "We very much welcome this decision which provides important reassurance about DECC's commitment to offshore wind. As well as having the potential to generate significant amounts of renewable energy, Galloper is a major infrastructure project that will bring investment and jobs into the UK."

He added: "Greater Gabbard wind farm, which is effectively the sister project to Galloper, is already proving to be a significant operating asset which we are now confident will have a significant asset life. It has already consistently achieved load factors in excess of 45% and availability of around 90%.

"Despite the strength of the Galloper project, before making a final investment decision we will apply SSE's traditional rigour in assessing the financial viability and returns from the project. This will include looking for ways to further drive down the cost of offshore wind and ensuring that the correct long- term policy support mechanisms are in place and available."

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, and eight offices outside of North America, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.