Wind turbines will soon dot the English Channel after an agreement between energy giant E.ON and the UK Green Investment Bank to build the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm, 13 kilometres off the Sussex coast.
Comprising 116 3.45 MW turbines, the project will have the capacity to generate 400 MW of electricity and deliver 1,300 gigawatt hours (GW/h) of renewable energy to the mainland each year, enough to power 300,000 British households.
Until it is commissioned in 2017, construction of the Rampion site is expected to provide 300 jobs with a further 65 full-time maintenance and supervising positions upon completion.
Once operational, the 116 Vestas-supplied turbines will avoid 600,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year, equivalent to removing 75,000 cars from the road.
The €1.9 billion (AUD $2.67 bn) wind project will receive funds from the UK’s Green Investment Bank (GIB). GIB has acquired a €263 million (AUD $331 million) stake from developer E.ON, which has committed to building and operating all aspects of the Rampion Wind Farm; including foundations, cabling and an offshore substation to transmit energy to the national grid.
“This is an important milestone for what is a strategically important project for the UK,” said Tony Cocker, UK Chief Executive at E.ON.
“At around £1.3 billion this investment by E.ON and our partners at the UK Green Investment Bank could be one of the biggest capital projects confirmed in Britain this year and we are proud of the leading role we are continuing to take in helping transform the UK’s energy infrastructure.”
The UK GIB controls a £3.8 billion (AUD $7.44 bn) fund designed to transition Britain into a greener economy and help the country achieve its climate goals. The investment in the Rampion project marks the Bank’s seventh investment in the UK’s offshore wind power sector, investments that will ultimately build over 2,500 MW of renewable energy capacity.
“This huge investment is a vote of confidence in the UK, creating local jobs, bringing business opportunities and providing clean, home-grown energy,” said Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the Rt Hon Amber Rudd MP.
“The UK is the best place in the world to invest in offshore wind, thanks to the certainty the Government is able to provide to attract private finance in partnership with the Green Investment Bank.”
Image credit: Green Investment Bank.
