Government Gives Green Light To Thames Estuary Wind Farm

19th December 2006

The Government has given the go-ahead for two major offshore wind farms to be built in the Thames Estuary.

The London Array and Thanet schemes together total 1.3GW of green electricity, enough to power a third of London's three million households when fully operational. They will make a significant contribution to the Government's ambition - set out in the Energy Review - to deliver a five-fold increase in the UK's renewable energy resource by 2020.

Britain is second only to Denmark in the offshore wind sector and projects such as the London Array, which will be the biggest in the world when completed, and Thanet underline the real progress that is being made.

Environment Secretary David Miliband said that he expects this announcement will be the first of a number of large-scale offshore wind farms in the UK and will provide real impetus for the continued developments in the offshore renewable energy sector that will benefit generations to come.

The London Array will consist of 341 turbines - each capable of generating between 3-7MW - five offshore sub-stations and four meteorological masts. They will rise from the sea 20km off the Kent and Essex coasts and will occupy an area 232 square KM in size stretching between Margate and Clacton.

The £500 million Thanet wind farm will be located approximately 11.3km (7 miles) from North Foreland on the Kent coast and its 100 turbines will occupy an area of around 35 square km. The project, led by developer, Warwick Energy, is being fast-tracked for delivery in 2008 and expects to provide electricity for around 240,000 homes.

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