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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland) - The consortium behind the world's the largest offshore windfarm, London Array in the U.K., has scrapped expansion plans over delays caused by birds.
The 630-megawatt (MW) windfarm off the Kent coast in south-east England, which has 175 turbines and can generate enough to power nearly half a million homes, was commissioned in July 2012. For additional information, see July 8, 2012, article - World's Largest Offshore Windfarm Officially Opened.
However, Phase 2, which was originally to add another 370 MW but was later reduced to 240 MW, has been cancelled over what the consortium called 'technical challenges and the environmental uncertainties surrounding the site'. The latter included a 'wait of at least three years until Phase 2's potential impact on birds could be completely assessed'.
"Phase 2 has always been subject to a Grampian condition requiring London Array to demonstrate that any change caused by the additional turbines to the habitat of the Red Throated Divers that overwinter in this part of the Thames Estuary would not compromise its status as a designated environmental Special Protection Area," explained General Manager, Mike O'Hare. "We believe it will take until at least January 2017 for that data to be collected and although initial findings from the existing Phase 1 site look positive, there is no guarantee at the end of three years that we will be able to satisfy the authorities that any impact on the birds would be acceptable. In the absence of any certainty that Phase 2 would be able to go ahead, our shareholders have decided to surrender The Crown Estate agreement for lease on the site, terminate the grid connection option, and concentrate on other development projects in their individual portfolios."
He added: "The Phase 2 site is technically more challenging than Phase 1 with a large area in very shallow water. Additional issues include a difficult and longer route for the export cables and an exclusion zone for aggregates operations".
The cancellation is one of a number of recent setbacks to U.K. offshore wind projects. Last month, RWE Innogy, announced that it was reducing the size of its consented Triton Knoll offshore windfarm off the Lincolnshire and Norfolk coast to between 600 and 900 MW, rather than the original 1,200 MW. For additional information, see January 9, 2014, article - RWE Cuts Triton Knoll Windfarm by Up To Half.
In December, ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) (Glasgow, Scotland) ditched plans to develop a massive 1,800 MW windfarm citing a number of technical and environmental challenges. The proposed Argyll Array Offshore Windfarm off the coast of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides would have had up to 300 turbines, capable of generating enough electricity for approximately one million homes. The project would have cost an estimated 6.4 billion ($8.8 billion). For additional information, see December 17, 2013, article - ScottishPower Scraps Major Offshore Windfarm.
Also in December, the U.K. arm of German energy major RWE AG (OTC:RWEOY) (Essen, Germany) pulled the plug on the 1,500 MW Atlantic Array Project proposed for the Bristol Channel. RWE cited difficulties with building turbines in deeper waters. For additional information, see December 2, 2013, article - RWE Scraps Giant U.K. Offshore Windfarm.
View Project Report -- 78000290 78000307 78000536 300032723
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, three offices in North America and nine international offices, 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. To contact an office in your area, visit the Industrial Info "Contact Us" page.
The 630-megawatt (MW) windfarm off the Kent coast in south-east England, which has 175 turbines and can generate enough to power nearly half a million homes, was commissioned in July 2012. For additional information, see July 8, 2012, article - World's Largest Offshore Windfarm Officially Opened.
However, Phase 2, which was originally to add another 370 MW but was later reduced to 240 MW, has been cancelled over what the consortium called 'technical challenges and the environmental uncertainties surrounding the site'. The latter included a 'wait of at least three years until Phase 2's potential impact on birds could be completely assessed'.
"Phase 2 has always been subject to a Grampian condition requiring London Array to demonstrate that any change caused by the additional turbines to the habitat of the Red Throated Divers that overwinter in this part of the Thames Estuary would not compromise its status as a designated environmental Special Protection Area," explained General Manager, Mike O'Hare. "We believe it will take until at least January 2017 for that data to be collected and although initial findings from the existing Phase 1 site look positive, there is no guarantee at the end of three years that we will be able to satisfy the authorities that any impact on the birds would be acceptable. In the absence of any certainty that Phase 2 would be able to go ahead, our shareholders have decided to surrender The Crown Estate agreement for lease on the site, terminate the grid connection option, and concentrate on other development projects in their individual portfolios."
He added: "The Phase 2 site is technically more challenging than Phase 1 with a large area in very shallow water. Additional issues include a difficult and longer route for the export cables and an exclusion zone for aggregates operations".
The cancellation is one of a number of recent setbacks to U.K. offshore wind projects. Last month, RWE Innogy, announced that it was reducing the size of its consented Triton Knoll offshore windfarm off the Lincolnshire and Norfolk coast to between 600 and 900 MW, rather than the original 1,200 MW. For additional information, see January 9, 2014, article - RWE Cuts Triton Knoll Windfarm by Up To Half.
In December, ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) (Glasgow, Scotland) ditched plans to develop a massive 1,800 MW windfarm citing a number of technical and environmental challenges. The proposed Argyll Array Offshore Windfarm off the coast of Tiree in the Inner Hebrides would have had up to 300 turbines, capable of generating enough electricity for approximately one million homes. The project would have cost an estimated 6.4 billion ($8.8 billion). For additional information, see December 17, 2013, article - ScottishPower Scraps Major Offshore Windfarm.
Also in December, the U.K. arm of German energy major RWE AG (OTC:RWEOY) (Essen, Germany) pulled the plug on the 1,500 MW Atlantic Array Project proposed for the Bristol Channel. RWE cited difficulties with building turbines in deeper waters. For additional information, see December 2, 2013, article - RWE Scraps Giant U.K. Offshore Windfarm.
View Project Report -- 78000290 78000307 78000536 300032723
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, three offices in North America and nine international offices, 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. To contact an office in your area, visit the Industrial Info "Contact Us" page.
