The London Array, a 1GW offshore wind farm, has just been given the go-ahead to begin construction and, when completed, will be the world’s largest offshore electrical power generation facility. The wind farm is expected to begin electrical power production in 2012, just in time for the London Olympic Games.
The first phase will bring 630MW of power online and is a project partnership between DONG Energy (50%), E.ON (30%) and Masdar (20%). Royal Dutch Shell PLC withdrew from the project last year because of increasing costs.
A 1GW wind farm will power an estimated 750,000 homes (a quarter of Greater London homes) and save 1.9 million tons of CO2 every year.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said, "The London Array is a flagship project in our drive to cut emissions by 80% by 2050 and meet future energy needs. The UK is a world leader in offshore wind farms, creating jobs and prosperity for the economy."
The UK is already a world leader in offshore wind and this project is likely to keep the UK ahead of the rest of the world, at least for the near term. The project will be located around 12 miles (18kms) off the Kent and Essex coasts, installed on a 90 square mile (233 sq.km) site and consisting of 175 turbines in the first phase (630MW) and a second phase will increase the capacity to 1,000MW (about the energy capacity of two large nuclear reactors).
Resources
DONG Energy: www.dongenergy.com
E.ON: www.eon.com
Masdar Initiative: www.masdaruae.com
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