Green Light for Humber Gateway Offshore Windfarm

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--German energy giant E.ON AG (OTC:EONGY) (Dusseldorf, Germany) has received the go-ahead for the 230-megawatt (MW) Humber Gateway offshore windfarm in the U.K.

The windfarm will be located eight kilometres off the Holderness Coast in East Yorkshire. Using up to 77 turbines, the windfarm will be capable of generating enough electricity for approximately 150,000 homes. A project tender will be issued this year with a commissioning date set for 2014.

The decision comes just weeks after German turbine manufacturer Siemens AG (NYSE:SI) (Munich, Germany) selected the Port of Hull, also in the Humberside region, as the proposed site for its offshore turbine manufacturing and export facility. For additional information, see January 24, 2011, article - Siemens Chooses Port of Hull for Wind Turbine Plant.

Michael Lewis, the managing director for E.ON's European renewables business, said: "This is really exciting news for us as we see offshore wind as an important part in the future energy mix of the U.K. It's essential that we continue to invest in renewable technologies, and this is further recognition of our expertise in the sector generally and in offshore wind in particular."

Humber Gateway is E.ON's fifth offshore windfarm in the U.K., after the Blyth windfarm in Northumberland, Scroby Sands off the coast of Great Yarmouth, Robin Rigg in the Solway Firth and the planned London Array windfarm in which E.ON holds a stake. Last April, E.ON commissioned the 180-MW Robin Rigg offshore windfarm in the Solway Firth, off the west coast of Scotland, comprising 60 turbines capable of powering 117,000 homes. For additional information, see April 18, 2010, article - E.ON Switches on Robin Rigg Offshore Windfarm.

E.ON was granted onshore planning consent for a new substation near Salt End earlier this year. The facility will connect the Humber Gateway windfarm to the national grid via 30 kilometres of underground cable.

The U.K. Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change Chris Huhne said: "Offshore wind not only provides clean, green, secure energy--the investment that comes with it is great for the U.K. economy, too. A new windfarm off the Humberside coast will be a further jobs- and investment-boost for the region, hot on the heels of Siemens' announcement of plans to develop the Port of Hull."

E.ON has 21 windfarms in the U.K. at present, and there are 1,500 MW of new renewable projects under development.

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