Sussex coast wind farm bid to have fewer structures (From The Argus)
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Sussex coast wind farm bid to have fewer structures
6:10pm Tuesday 18th December 2012 in News By Tim Ridgway, Local government reporter
An artist's impression of the Rampion wind farm as seen from Brighton beach
A giant wind farm off the Sussex coast would have fewer turbines but each could be taller.
Bosses at E.ON have announced they will cap the number of turbines on the sea bed south of Brighton at 175, down from the 195 originally planned.
They say the move, which is part of “significant changes” to the scheme, will still mean it can generate enough electricity to supply the equivalent of about 450,000 homes.
However, official documents show that fewer turbines will mean increased heights of up to 124 metres.
The plans have been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate which will review the proposal and make a decision on the scheme next year.
The alterations follow a consultation in which more than 1,500 people and organisations commented.
Main concerns were the visual impact of the wind farm and the impact of the onshore cable route on South Downs National Park.
Less visible
Fears were also expressed about the impact on access for fishermen and sea users.
The wind farm area is now about half that originally awarded by The Crown Estate in January 2010 so parts are less visible from the coast.
This means there will be between 100 and 175 turbines depending on the model. It could still generate up to 700MW for the National Grid.
Changes have also been made to the foundations which will minimise the impact on wave heights Surfers Against Sewage campaign director Andy Cummins said: “After some urgent intervention from us there is a win-win solution for the south coast, protecting surf resources and delivering green energy.”
National Grid
Further changes include a new method of installing the cable to link the wind farm with the National Grid in Bolney, near Haywards Heath.
E.ON claims a “tailored construction” will reduce the impact on the chalk grasslands at Tottington Mount, near Upper Beeding, while the cable route has been slightly changed to avoid ecologically sensitive areas, such as ancient woodland.
Trees will also be planted in Bob Lane, near the new Bolney substation, to limit the visual impact.
The Planning Inspectorate will spend a month considering the proposals, publicised in the first quarter of 2013 when comments will be accepted.
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Comments(8)
John Fallon
says...
7:31pm Tue 18 Dec 12
C. French
says...
8:02pm Tue 18 Dec 12
Yeah right. Back in the real world, there have been recent examples when all 3,500 of Britain's ugly wind turbines were contributing 0.0% of the energy we were using: http://www.telegraph
.co.uk/comment/94686
04/The-great-wind-de
lusion-has-hijacked-
our-energy-policy.ht
ml
At the time I am writing this, all 3,500 turbines are contributing just 1% of the energy we're using: http://www.gridwatch
.templar.co.uk/
So just how realistic is the assumption, that just 175 wind turbines can power 450,000 homes?
The only people to ever benefit from windfarms will be the owners and landlords where these windfarms are based, who receive massive 'green' subsidies and rental income.
We the people will of course pay for this madness through extra 'green' charges added to our electricity bills
Please 'like' and sign the petition to 'Stop the Rampion Windfarm' : http://www.facebook.
com/StopTheRampionOf
fshoreWindfarm
http://www.gopetitio
n.com/petitions/stop
-the-rampion-off-sho
re-wind-farm.html
Thank you.
HJarrs
says...
9:16pm Tue 18 Dec 12
John Fallon wrote:You mean 20% of plated capacity. It will likely be near 100% of expected output.
Utter waste of time and money. It will generate around 20% of its expected annual output. It will need to be backed by gas power stations running at minimum efficiency and maximum CO2 output. And the wind farm will cost a fortune, paid for by increasing all our electricity bills. Useless but inevitable.
Apparently National Grid has no problem with windpower up to about 25% of the generated power going onto the grid. Wind is only part of a portfolio of generating technologies including PV. The key to me seems to be storage and there are a few of practical ideas out there that are coming to market.
Sussex jim
says...
9:14am Wed 19 Dec 12
Crystal Ball
says...
9:17am Wed 19 Dec 12
Sussex jim wrote:Does that blow the concept of the battery out of the water?
You cannot store electricity. It is simply a means of transferring power from one point to another. Think of it like a bicycle chain.
Morpheus
says...
9:52am Wed 19 Dec 12
Sussex jim wrote:You can, but batteries are very expensive. We also have pumped-storage schemes, also expensive and limited by the need for suitable sites.
You cannot store electricity. It is simply a means of transferring power from one point to another. Think of it like a bicycle chain.
C. French
says...
9:45pm Wed 19 Dec 12
k/publications/280-a
nalysis-of-wind-farm
-performance-in-uk-a
nd-denmark
Chris French
Chairman
UKIP Mid Sussex
sussexram40 says...
6:26pm Tue 18 Dec 12