A gust of fresh impetus for renewables
The Government is to announce plans to invest 6bn pounds of taxpayers’ money into a second stage of offshore wind energy projects.
It is thought the bold move could create 20,000 news jobs and partially relieve the UK’s harmful dependency on fossil fuels, the main culprit, scientists believe, causing global warming.
It is forecasted that 3.5 million or 15% British homes could eventually be powered by renewables.
6,000 megawatts of electricity could be derived from offshore wind projects.
Patricia Hewitt of the Department of Trade and Industry is backing licensing plans to expand wind energy in shallow waters in the Thames Estuary, Greater Wash off East Anglia and the north west of England.
Under the Kyoto Agreement, the British government is obliged to derive 10% of UK energy from renewable sources by the year 2010.
Ambitiously, in the Energy White Paper this year, the Dti aspired to having 20% of electricity derived from renewables by 2020.
‘The first wind farm that’s being built at the moment will be about 30 wind turbines, but what developers are saying to us is they want to build much, much larger off-shore wind farms,’ Patricia Hewitt said.
‘There’ll be anything up to 300 wind turbines, so about ten times the size of the first one that’s being built at the moment in Wales and will start generating later this year.’
‘But of course we’re talking about off-shore wind farms here and quite some way out from the coast.’
‘We’ve been very careful in working with environmentalists and others in designing these off-shore wind farm areas to avoid, for instance, the bird sanctuaries and the immediate coastal waters off the north Norfolk coast.’
Commenting on the announcement, the Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, Tim Yeo MP, expressed scepticism.
“While we all want more electricity to be generated from all forms of renewable sources, off shore wind requires enormous capital investment and carries high transmission costs.
“Today’s statement by Patricia Hewitt reflects the wishful thinking which has replaced an energy policy in the Government’s mind”.
Claims that one home in six could be supplied with electricity generated by off shore wind power set “a new standard of absurdity”, he said.
“Off shore wind cannot be economic without a big subsidy from the taxpayer and a complete back up system to ensure power supply continues when the off shore generators fail to meet demand.
“If Patricia Hewitt thinks this is the answer to Britain’s energy needs as we become dependent on imports both, consumers and taxpayers will pay a heavy price in years to come”, Mr Yeo warned.
