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Coordinates: 51°38′38″N 1°33′13″E / 51.64389°N 1.55361°E / 51.64389; 1.55361
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today's investment announcement
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|accessdate=2008-10-16
|accessdate=2008-10-16
}}</ref> In March 2009, the backers agreed on an initial investment of &euro;2.2 billion.<ref>Teather D, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/may/12/wind-farm-electricity-london-array "Thames offshore wind farm gets green light from investors"], ''The Guardian'', 13 May 2009</ref>
}}</ref> In March 2009, the backers agreed on an initial investment of &euro;2.2 billion.<ref>Teather D, [http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/may/12/wind-farm-electricity-london-array "Thames offshore wind farm gets green light from investors"], ''The Guardian'', 13 May 2009</ref>

As of May 2009, the partners are satisfied that the project is now financially viable and are now keen to push ahead with construction and to produce the first renewable power in 2012. Onshore work is now due to start in the summer, with offshore work due to start in early 2011.<ref name=off>[http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2009/05/london-array-given-green-lght?cmpid=WNL-Wednesday-May13-2009 UK's London Array Given Green Light]</ref>

The consortium hopes the first phase of 630 MW will be completed and generating in 2012. The first phase will consist of 175 turbines. The second phase will add enough capacity to bring the total to 1000 MW.<ref name=off/>

The project will supply enough power for around 750,000 homes - or a quarter of Greater London homes - and displace the emission of 1.9 m tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. Once complete, the scheme will be the the world's largest, and the first 1 gigawatt, offshore wind farm.<ref name=off/>


== Progress and timetable ==
== Progress and timetable ==

Revision as of 04:07, 14 May 2009

Template:Future power station 51°38′38″N 1°33′13″E / 51.64389°N 1.55361°E / 51.64389; 1.55361 The London Array is a planned offshore wind farm in the outer Thames Estuary in the United Kingdom. Of 1 gigawatt capacity, it is expected to become the world's largest offshore wind farm.[1]

The site is seven miles (11 km) off the North Foreland on the Kent coast in the area of Long Sand and Kentish Knock,[2] and will cover 90 square miles (230 km2) between Margate in Kent and Clacton in Essex.

The completed wind farm will consist of 341 wind turbines of around 3 MW to 7 MW rated capacity,[3] which will provide an average power output of 350 MW at the smallest proposed turbine size. The higher rated turbines will be installed in the second stage of construction and will provide considerably more power. The proposers say this is enough to power a quarter of the homes in Greater London or the entire counties of Kent and East Sussex.

The turbines are to be assembled at Port Ramsgate.

Financial support for the scheme

The wind farm was planned to be built by London Array Limited, a consortium of Shell WindEnergy Ltd, E.ON UK Renewables and DONG Energy,[4] at a cost of £2bn. The original cost was around £1bn.[5]

In May 2008, Shell announced that it was pulling out of the project, leaving the consortium in disarray.[6] However it was announced in July that E.ON UK and DONG Energy would buy Shell's stake.[7] Subsequently on 16 October 2008, London Array announced the Abu Dhabi-based Masdar Initiative would join E.ON as a joint venture party in the scheme. Under the agreement, Masdar purchased 40 percent of E.ON’s half share of the scheme, giving Masdar a 20% stake in the project overall. The accompanying press release confirmed that the proposed completion date for the first stage will be some time in 2012 and will consist of up to 175 turbines. The second stage (bringing the revised total to 271 turbines) will add enough capacity to generate 1,000 MW for 750,000 homes.[8] In March 2009, the backers agreed on an initial investment of €2.2 billion.[9]

As of May 2009, the partners are satisfied that the project is now financially viable and are now keen to push ahead with construction and to produce the first renewable power in 2012. Onshore work is now due to start in the summer, with offshore work due to start in early 2011.[10]

The consortium hopes the first phase of 630 MW will be completed and generating in 2012. The first phase will consist of 175 turbines. The second phase will add enough capacity to bring the total to 1000 MW.[10]

The project will supply enough power for around 750,000 homes - or a quarter of Greater London homes - and displace the emission of 1.9 m tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. Once complete, the scheme will be the the world's largest, and the first 1 gigawatt, offshore wind farm.[10]

Progress and timetable

  • 18 December 2006 — planning permission for turbines granted, but siting of onshore substation at Cleve Hill near Graveney is being contested [11]
  • 2007 — planning permission for onshore substation granted[5]
  • 2008 — original expected date of first turbines[12]
  • 2012 — completion date estimate as of October 2008[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ London Array official site
  2. ^ London Array boundary map (PDF)
  3. ^ London Array official turbine information
  4. ^ London Array project introduction
  5. ^ a b Murray J, "Thames Array gets planning green light", BusinessGreen blog, 2007-10-05
  6. ^ Shell pulls out of key wind power project, Financial Times, 01 May 2008
  7. ^ "E.ON and DONG Energy become 50:50 partners in world's largest offshore wind farm". The London Array. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
  8. ^ a b "E.ON and Masdar have joined forces as partners in the London Array offshore wind farm project" (PDF). The London Array. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
  9. ^ Teather D, "Thames offshore wind farm gets green light from investors", The Guardian, 13 May 2009
  10. ^ a b c UK's London Array Given Green Light
  11. ^ Voss, S, Giant Wind Farm Pits English Town Against Shell, E.ON, Bloomberg, 2006-12-15
  12. ^ Offshore wind farms get go-ahead, BBC News, 2006-12-18
  13. ^ http://www.kentishflats.co.uk
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