Expansion at Vattenfall’s Kentish Flats offshore wind farm given green light

Up to 17 new wind turbines will be added to Vattenfall's Kentish Flats offshore wind farm, which already hosts 30 wind turbines.

Vattenfall’s Kentish Flats offshore wind farm currently comprises of 30 Vestas wind turbines, installed in 2005 and delivering a capacity of 90MW.

An offshore wind farm off the Kent coast has been given a major boost after the energy secretary gave the nod for expansion.

Vattenfall's Kentish Flats wind farm off the coast of Herne Bay and Whitstable already boasts some 30 wind turbines but this latest development will allow for up to 17 more.

Construction looks set to begin in 2015 with power generation started at the end of 2015 or early 2016.

Goran Loman, Vattenfall's project manager for Kentish Flats Extension, said: "We welcome the Secretary of State's timely decision.

"Kentish Flats Extension will make a major contribution to generation from Vattenfall's large fleet of offshore wind capacity in UK waters and help the delivery of UK climate change and renewable energy obligations.

"The decision is good news for businesses in and around Whitstable and Herne Bay. We have already engaged with well over 100 local companies and we hope that many of them will win business from the £150 million plus investment."

Kentish Flats is one of the UK’s oldest offshore wind farms, although the first was installed in 2003 off the North Wales coast line.