LONDON, United Kingdom, April 18, 2002 (ENS) - The single largest offshore wind farm in the United Kingdom won approval Wednesday from Energy Minister Brian Wilson.

Thirty-eight wind turbines will be installed by Powergen Renewables Offshore Wind Ltd. at Middle Scroby Sands some 2.5 kilometers (1.5 miles) off the coast of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk.

The wind farm will generate 76 megawatts of power, providing enough green electricity for 52,000 homes, "a significant step forward for the wind industry," Wilson said.

The Scroby Sands offshore wind farm will consist of up to 38 two megawatt Vestas V80 turbines.

Powergen has been studying the site since 1995 and says, "It has a relatively benign wave and tide climate, is close to good port facilities and a strong electrical grid network. Just as important, the wind farm proposal has the enthusiastic support of the local authority. Great Yarmouth Borough Council and Norfolk County Council have both expressed full support for the scheme, for which we are very grateful."

Work on the development is scheduled to begin next winter for completion by November of 2003.

The Powergen project is the first offshore windfarm development to be approved from the 18 potential sites identified by developers who successfully pre-qualified last year for Crown Estate seabed leases.

Artist's rendition of how the Scroby Sands wind farm will look upon completion (Photo courtesy Powergen Renewables)

The wind farm is unlikely to disturb local little terns as it sited far enough away from the breeding and feeding areas. The turbine foundations are expected to act as artificial reefs and provide added habitats for deep ocean and fish populations.

Three studies were carried out relating to the Scroby Sands to establish the wave climate, coastal stability and potential for sand movement. Powergen says the maximum impact of the wind farm structures on the sand bank would be "negligible in terms of the existing and natural processes," the studies show.

Powergen was instrumental in the construction of the UK's first offshore wind farm one kilometer from Blyth, Northumberland which was completed in November 2001. The project is a joint venture between Powergen Renewables, Shell, Nuon and AMEC Border Wind, and comprises two Vestas V66 two megawatt turbines.

The UK is now poised to exploit the potential of offshore wind, Wilson predicted Wednesday at a major conference organized by the British Wind Energy Association (BWEA).

"Offshore wind in the UK can make a major contribution to climate change objectives, to secure electricity supplies, and to our economic well being through job creation and exports. I am very pleased that this potential is beginning to be realized," he said.

Powergen says the Scroby Sands wind farm could directly prevent the release into the atmosphere of 97,000 tons of carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas linked to climate change, as well as about 860 tons of sulfur dioxide and about 290 tons of nitrogen oxides, both components of acid rain.

In his keynote speech Wednesday to the BWEA Offshore Wind 2002 conference at the Paragon Hotel, Wilson said, "A real momentum is building for offshore renewables and not just for wind but wave and other marine based technologies such as wave and tidal."

The minister reminded conference delegates that the UK is working to meet its "challenging target" of sourcing 10 percent of electricity from renewables to reduce the UK's carbon emissions.

Wind turbines withstand rough seas in the Blyth Harbour (Photo courtesy Blyth Offshore Wind Ltd)

The minister told a meeting of the Renewable Power Association Wednesday afternoon that he plans to appoint a new body, the Renewables Advisory Board, to advise him on the development of renewables in the UK.

"We need to ensure that we have a strategy and vision that reaches to all corners of the United Kingdom. The Renewables Advisory Board will bring together key players from industry, the unions and government. It will be based on the highly successful pilot initiative - the Oil and Industry Task Force - and will drive forward our research and development and capital grants programs, as well as other crucial issues such as the development of a supply chain and the infrastructure constraints," Wilson said.

Total UK wind generating capacity now stands at 473.6 megawatts, filling 0.37 percent of the UK's electricity demand. Just over 64 new megawatts of wind power were installed in the year 2001, according to the BWEA. Just under 200MW of wind power construction is confirmed for 2002, increasing by over 40 percent the UK's total installed capacity to date.

North European offshore wind farm projects are more advanced than anything in the UK, with a number of operational Dutch, Swedish and Danish schemes including the latest 20 turbine wind farm just outside Copenhagen harbor generating 40 megawatts of power.