Airtricity

Giant offshore wind farm gets the green light
By Susie Mesure
Published: 20 February 2007
The first British offshore wind farm to be built outside UK territorial waters was given the green light yesterday.
Airtricity, the Irish wind developer aiming to make Europe self-sufficient in energy, was awarded the 500-megawatt project, which will be built 16 miles off the Suffolk coast.
Eddie O'Connor, Airtricity's chief executive, said it would take two years to build the 150 sq km windfarm and he expects work to commence in 2009. Fluor, the US construction giant, is working with the Irish company on the £1.2bn project. The windfarm will be able to supply clean electricity to over 415,000 homes, more than all the demand in Suffolk.
The Greater Gabbard wind farm will be the first to be built outside the 12 nautical-mile boundary of UK waters. The 2004 Energy Act established a renewable energy zone that extended the Government's authority to 200 miles in some places.
Alistair Darling, the Trade and Industry Secretary, said: "We need more renewable energy as part of the mix of generation of electricity. It cuts emissions while powering homes."
Ian Pearson, the climate change minister, said wind farms such as Greater Gabbard "will play a major role in helping to reduce the UK's carbon dioxide emissions by 60 per cent by 2050".
He added: "We must start moving towards a zero-carbon economy now, which involves a significant increase in the uptake of clean technologies, especially renewable energy."
The 140-turbine wind farm will help to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 1.5 million tonnes a year - the equivalent of taking 350,000 cars off the road.
Mr O'Connor said he believes that eventually all of Europe's energy needs could be met by wind power.
"Wind is not just the North Sea oil and gas of the 21st century but its Saudi Arabia," he said. He wants Britain and Germany to pool their wind-powered electricity in a "supergrid ... that would provide infinite access to this treasure trove of energy".
He is flying to Berlin this week for meetings with the German government.