Wind farm off Yorkshire coast wins go-ahead

The scheme in UK waters off Hornsea was one of a number confirmed by the Crown Estate in a package which could provide enough energy for 19 million homes.

A consortium of bidders won the contract from the Crown Estate for the "Hornsea" zone: an area of sea equivalent to the width of the UK from Liverpool to Hull which lies between 34km and 190km off the Yorkshire Coast.

Generally, the announcement looks likely to be welcomed by local people who have been fighting to stop wind farms being built inland because of fears they will be noisy, pose a health risk, and spoil the countryside, as well as being inefficient.

The Hornsea zone developers will be the SMart Wind consortium, led by Mainstream Renewable Power and Siemens Project Ventures (SPV), an arm of the Siemens giant.

Hornsea is one of nine zones to be developed in UK waters as part of the Crown Estate's programme to generate 32GW, enough to meet a quarter of the country's electricity needs.

Siemens and Mainstream have pooled their expertise both for the off-shore construction work and to deal with the project's long-term maintenance and other issues.

With a total investment of more than 100bn for all nine zones, developers say the wind farms will be part of the world's largest energy infrastructure programme.

Construction is expected to start off Hornsea by 2014. Mainstream chief executive Dr Eddie O'Connor said: "We're confident that we'll deliver in record time.This is about delivering a whole new industry for the UK, one that provides sustainable, secure and indigenous power as well as tens of thousands of new jobs throughout the supply chain.

"This will have a major impact on the long-term economic development of the UK as well as positioning it as the global leader in offshore wind generation.

"It is our intention to work closely with local communities to ensure that this new industry brings real opportunities for jobs, training and new business."

Siemens estimates the number of people employed in the UK's wind industry will increase from 5,000 today to 60,000 in 2020 – although critics say many of the jobs will go abroad and there are issues how the power will be linked to the National Grid.

As reported by the Yorkshire Post, there has been concern that the sheer number of wind farm schemes proposed for East Yorkshire is threatening to overwhelm local democracy and the will of local communities to oppose them

South Holderness Opposes Wind Turbines (SHOWT) has been involved in battles against three schemes – Monkwith, Tedder Hills and Sunderland Farm.

East Riding of Yorkshire Councillor Paul Robinson, who is concerned about the impact of the turbines on local countryside, said he broadly supported off-shore wind generation and welcomed yesterday's announcement as a positive step.

"I would like to see the potential for wave and tidal power moved higher up the Government's agenda and for funding to be made available to fully exploit these more efficient and predictable alternatives," he continued.

"Off-shore wind farms have many advantages over, and in my opinion are ultimately more preferable than, on-shore wind farms as there is very little negative visual impact or noise issues for neighbouring communities, nor transportation of wind turbine components along narrow rural roads."

He argued winds off-shore tended to be more constant and predictable. Therefore the turbines will be more efficient than the "pathetically low" rates achieved by the on-shore type.

"But care must be taken in finding ways to connect the power to the national grid without the need for miles and miles of new pylons," he added.

"It is essential that underground cabling is used or that existing pylons are utilised or upgraded wherever possible and any new pylons be placed in areas where they are least intrusive."

Helping to meet renewable goal

The Hornsea zone will provide enough electricity to meet four per cent of all electricity demand in the UK.

The UK goal for renewable electricity generation is approximately 30 per cent. Hornsea's offshore generation will account for approximately 12 per cent of that target.

The Hornsea zone is next to the River Humber, 200km south of Newcastle and 75km north of The Wash. Other zones are in the Irish Sea, the Bristol Channel, the Moray Firth, the Firth of Forth, off the coast of Norfolk and west of the Isle of Wight.