UK - Wind industry welcomes major approvals for new wind farms off and on shore

BWEA, the UK’s leading renewable energy business body, today welcomed the announcement that BERR has approved two major new wind farms.

The 315MW offshore wind farm, Sherringham Shoal will be situated 12 miles off the Norfolk coast and is being developed by Norwegian utility company StatoilHydro and Dutch energy company Evelop. When fully operational the wind farm will have 88 turbines and will power some 220,000 homes. It is expected to be operational by 2011. It is the fourth largest offshore wind farm approved in the UK. BERR has also approved the 75MW, 18 turbine Middlemoor wind farm proposals near Alnwick, Northumberland being developed by Npower Renewables, which will power over 27,000 homes.

Maria McCaffery MBE, BWEA Chief Executive said “This is fantastic news, this is a major step forward for both the wind industry and a major step towards delivering the 2020 renewable energy targets. These decisions show that with patience, determination and co-operation it is possible to overcome difficult technical issues and win planning permission”.

Both applications were subject to a Ministry of Defence objection due to concerns that the proposed wind farm would interfere with defence radar. The approvals are conditional on a technical solution being reached within 5 years. These are the first major applications to see a MoD objection withdrawn following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by the wind industry and Defence officials in May this year.