Offshore Windfarm Development

RNS Number : 3573N

Scottish & Southern Energy PLC

16 February 2009

 



OFFSHORE WINDFARM DEVELOPMENT IN SCOTTISH TERRITORIAL WATERS

Scottish and Southern Energy plc ('SSE'), through its renewable energy development division Airtricity, has been granted exclusivity by The Crown Estate to develop offshore wind farms at four locations in Scottish territorial waters. The locations are Beatrice, Bell Rock, Islay and Kintyre.

The proposed wind farms could have a total capacity of up to 2,700MW. Their development is subject to site-specific consultations and environmental impact assessments, statutory consents and the satisfactory completion of the Strategic Environmental Assessment for offshore wind announced by the Scottish government in October 2008. At two of the four sites, SSE is in partnership with other specialist developers, including Aberdeen-based SeaEnergy Renewables.

SSE is also seeking to play a significant role in The Crown Estate's plans for a third round of offshore wind farm developments.in zones off the coast of the UK.

SSE has already started construction work related to the development in the outer Thames Estuary of Greater Gabbard, a joint venture with RWE Innogy which, on completion, is expected to be the world's largest offshore wind farm with a capacity of 500MW. It also has consent to develop offshore wind farms at Arklow (Republic of Ireland), Butendiek (Germany) and West Rijn (Netherlands) with a total capacity of around 1,000MW and continues to pursue other options for offshore wind farm development in northern Europe.

Ian Marchant, Chief Executive of SSE, said:

'One of the key aims of our acquisition of Airtricity a year ago was to build up a major offshore wind farm capability in northern Europe, and this is already being achieved in the UK, Ireland, Germany and the Netherlands.

Paul Dowling, Chief Executive of Airtricity, said:

'Offshore wind represents an outstanding resource which, when harnessed, will make a very significant contribution to meeting the ambitious renewable energy goals for 2020 agreed by the EU last year.  

'I believe that EU leaders are determined that the huge opportunities in offshore wind should not be missed and that Greater Gabbard, which we expect to complete in 2011, will prove to be the first of a series of major offshore wind farms to be developed by SSE over the next decade.'

 

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