Giant Rampion Offshore Windfarm Gets Green Light

Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--The first offshore windfarm to be located off the south coast of England has been given the green light by the government.

The Rampion offshore windfarm, located 13 kilometers (km) to 20km off the coast of Sussex, will have a generating capacity of up 700 megawatts (MW) and be capable of generating enough power for approximately 450,000 homes. The project is being developed by E.ON Climate and Renewables UK Rampion Offshore Wind Ltd., part of German energy major E.ON AG (PINK: EONGY) (Dusseldorf, Germany), and will boast between 100 and 175 turbines with power ratings of between 3 MW and 7 MW.

"We're driving investment in our energy security, and our plans have made us number one in the world for investment in offshore wind energy," explained U.K. Energy and Climate Change Secretary, Ed Davey. "This project is great news for Sussex, providing green jobs as well as driving business opportunities right across the country in a sector with a clear roadmap for long-term growth."

Michael Lewis, Chief Operating Officer, E.ON Renewables, said: "E.ON is delighted to receive development consent for the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm proposal. This is a key milestone for the project and we firmly believe Rampion will play an important role in helping to ensure future security of supply and make a significant contribution towards meeting the UK's renewable energy targets."

Onshore construction is expected to start in 2015. The project, including the offshore installation, will take four years to complete. E.ON estimated that that first power generation will start in 2018/19.

Huub den Rooijen, head of Offshore Wind at The Crown Estate, which manages the U.K. seabed, welcomed the decision. "Today's announcement for the Rampion windfarm is great news for the offshore wind industry and with nearly 12-gigawatts (GW) consented, including over 5 GW in operation or under construction, this further reinforces why the U.K. remains one of the best places to invest in offshore wind globally."

The turbines at Rampion will stand in water depths ranging from 19-50 meters (m) and have a maximum height to tip of 180-210m. A 26.4km underground cable will be needed at landfall to connect to the National Grid's substation near Bolney Village.

E.ON U.K. withdrew the first application for Rampion in January last year, in order to conduct further consultations. For additional information, see January 9, 2013, article - E.ON Pulls Rampion U.K. Offshore Windfarm Application.

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