Offshore Wind Farm Plans Set To Change The Coastline Of The South West

Whether you think offshore wind turbines are elegant necessities or overrated eyesores, Energy Secretary John Hutton recently announced the Government plans to build enough of them to power the equivalent of all UK homes by 2020.

The proposals, although subject to the outcome of a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), open up the whole of Britain’s continental shelf for development (other than areas essential for shipping and fishing). This could be a significant contribution to the Government’s target of sourcing 10% of energy from renewable sources by 2010 and 20% by 2020.

Until now, the use of offshore wind farms in the UK has been small scale. 2001 saw the release of the “first round” of pilot projects followed in 2003 with a “second round” focussing on three strategic areas - the Thames Estuary, Greater Wash and the North West. The new proposals however, are of a scale previously unseen but many farms will be visible from the land.

The UK’s coastline will inevitably change and the South West may be no exception. In the past, offshore wind energy was under-developed off the Devon and Cornish coasts as the comparatively deep waters make construction economically and technically unviable. However, new technologies challenge these restrictions and there are proposals for a 1,500 MW scheme – the Atlantic Array – in the Bristol Channel feeding power into a substation in North Devon.

The current renewable energy target, proposed for the South West contained in the draft Regional Spatial Strategy, comes from onshore and offshore renewable contributions. The relatively modest target for offshore capacity is currently set at 56 MWe by 2010 and 400 MWe by 2020 before the region’s potential for offshore wind energy was recognised.

Given that the South West has one of the best wave and tidal resources in the UK the South West could become a key area for renewable energy production developments. Recently planning approval was granted for Wave Hub, the world’s first large scale wave farm at Hayle off the north coast of Cornwall.

The Government’s SEA will specifically assess the suitability of the South West for offshore wind farms and possible designation as a strategic area for off shore wind energy.  If so then development companies will be invited to bid for leases of the seabed in order to make the necessary applications for planning consent.

One further advantage the South West offers that other areas surrounded by shallower waters do not, is spare grid capacity. Many areas previously chosen for offshore wind energy require new substations involving a time consuming planning process which delays the delivery of the electricity produced by the offshore wind farms.

With Wave Hub, the Atlantic Array, the Severn barrage and other potential marine energy resources, the South West has the opportunity to be at the forefront of developments in renewable energy. The challenge is harnessing these resources to bring economic benefits to the region with minimal detrimental impact to the environment that we all enjoy. 

For more information or advice, please contact Neal Jillings

Published 04/02/2008. The author of this article is Neal Jillings