Wind Farm Construction is Booming in Britain

It was confirmed last week that wind farm construction of one of Britain’s biggest onshore windfarms will begin next year, 2014, and should be completed in 2 years.

The Swedish firm Vattenfall says its wind farm at Pen y Cymoedd will have a 25-year life span and contribute £45m to the local economy. It will be built between Neath and Aberdare and have no less than 76 turbines and generate 228 MW.

Wind Farm Construction

The energy secretary, Ed Davey, said that the Pen y Cymoedd wind farm will be a boost for the economy as well as the environment. He said:

“It will attract billions in investment into the UK and support hundreds of skilled green jobs while providing homes with clean energy. Offshore and onshore wind is an important contributor to our energy mix. We have provided certainty early to onshore and offshore wind investors and now see significant investment decisions being made that will benefit the UK’s economy for years to come.”

Officials say it will on average generate the equivalent annual electricity needs of 140,000 UK households and create around 300 jobs. In a bid to win over local support, Vattenfall will also invest £1.8m annually into community funds for the life of the wind farm.

Meanwhile, in offshore news, the second largest offshore wind farm in the world, costing £1.3 billion and generating enough clean electricity to power over half a million homes, was officially opened by Energy and Business Minister Michael Fallon earlier this month. The farm is called Greater Gabbard and is located off the coast of Suffolk, East England.  It has 140 turbines and will double in size, once the Galloper wind farm extension is completed in 2017.

Wind Farm Construction

Fallon said:

“The UK leads the world in offshore wind power generation with more capacity than the rest of the world combined and we want to see this sector grow even further. Greater Gabbard has already brought jobs and wider benefit to the local community, with hundreds of people employed on-site and a £150,000 fund created to support local initiatives, which will be managed by Suffolk Community Foundation.”

The Offshore Wind Industrial Strategy, published last week, sets out the UK Government and industry’s joint plans to help build a thriving UK supply chain for offshore wind. Investment by the Government includes £20 million from the Regional Growth Fund to improve the UK wind industry’s supply chain and £46 million to join up innovation between industry, Government, and academia and help companies to bring new products to market.

It’s a gusty and vibrant wind that’s blowing in Britain these days!