The announcement this morning was made by the Crown Estate, which controls the sea bed around the UK. The sites awarded are 10 square kilometres and each successful applicant has satisfied a rigorous evaluation of its financial, wind and offshore expertise.
As a successful applicant AMEC will now start the detailed development work necessary to gain the consents required to build the offshore facility. During this time, full discussions will be held with the local community and other stakeholders.
The development will involve 30 turbines, between five and ten kilometres offshore. The facility will generate enough electricity annually for over 60,000 homes – more than seven times the annual requirement for Skegness. Investment in the project is likely to be around GBP90 million with an earliest construction start date during 2004.
David Still, General Manager of AMEC Border Wind, said:
We are delighted that our application for an option to develop a wind farm off the Lincolnshire coast has been successful. Developing these farms is a crucial part of the UK Government’s commitment to reducing green house gas emissions and they bring with them the opportunity to create new jobs across the country.
Offshore wind is a key business area for AMEC. With our partners we have already delivered the UK’s first offshore wind farm at Blyth, which was launched last December. The technology we used there has already proved robust and ideally suited to supply sustainable, green energy.
AMEC and its partners generate more than 14 megawatts of electricity by wind energy from five sites in the UK – enough to supply more than 14,000 homes.
Through the application of its knowledge, technology and innovative partnerships, AMEC leads the way in developing wind farms for both onshore and offshore projects. It was one of the first oil and gas service providers to respond positively to the UK Government target of producing 10 per cent of the UK’s electricity requirements from renewable sources by 2010.
