Sussex coast wind farm vision revealed (From The Argus)
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Brighton to Newhaven wind farm plans revealed
4:10pm Monday 6th February 2012 in News By Siobhan Ryan
Energy company E.ON is today (February 6) unveiling its plans for between 100 and 195 wind turbines eight miles out to sea off the coast between Brighton and Newhaven.
The wind farm would generate enough energy to power more than two out of every three homes in Sussex, including the whole of Brighton and Hove.
It would be one of the largest offshore wind farms in the world.
The development has been broadly welcomed by MPs, councillors and environmental groups.
However, some concerns have been raised about the impact underground cable work will have on the South Downs National Park.
At peak times the farm would be the equivalent of a 700MW power station, with each turbine up to 175 metres tall.
This is more than three times the height of the Brighton Wheel.
Project development manager Chris Tomlinson said: “The Rampion wind farm offers a unique opportunity for us to make a valuable contribution to securing our electricity supplies for the future.”
Lewes MP Norman Baker said: ““People will hardly be able to notice the turbines in the distance, and they will provide an important source of energy. This is definitely the way forward."
Chris Todd, from Brighton and Hove Friends of the Earth, said: “There is the potential that construction work on the cable will cause damage to the habitat on the South Downs, and that needs to be worked and planned very carefully."
In the next few months E.ON will be installing a meteorological mast on the site to measure wind speeds, wave heights, sea currents and record other offshore environmental data.
How to have your say on project
The community consultation for the project runs from Monday, February 13 until Sunday, May 6.
People can have their say on the proposal by completing and returning a consultation questionnaire, at one of the public exhibitions, online at eon-uk.com/rampion, or by post to FREEPOST RAMPION OFFSHORE WIND FARM.
They can also write to one of the Rampion team at Rampion@eon.com or call the consultation line on 01273 694876.
Public information events will be held at:
Brighton
Saturday, February 18, 10am – 6pm
Brighton Unitarian Church, New Road.
Worthing
Saturday, February 25, 10am - 6pm
St Paul’s Church, Main Hall, Chapel Road.
Newhaven
Monday, February 27, midday – 8pm
Hillcrest Community Centre, Main Hall, Hillcrest Road.
Shoreham
Monday, March 5, midday – 8pm
Holmbush Shopping Centre, Main Atrium, Upper Shoreham Road.
Hove
Saturday March 10, 10am – 6pm
St Andrew Old Church Hall, Church Road.
Peacehaven
Wednesday, March 21, midday – 8pm
Community House, Anzac Room, Meridian Centre.
Seaford
Monday, March 12, midday – 8pm
The Clinton Centre, Clinton Hall, Clinton Place.
Albourne
Saturday, March 17, 10am – 6pm
Albourne Village Hall, The Street.
Henfield
Tuesday, March 27, 11am – 6.30pm
Henfield Village Hall, Main Hall, Coopers Way.
Lancing
Thursday, March 29, midday – 8pm
Lancing Parish Hall, Jubilee Hall, South Street.
Littlehampton
Wednesday, April 4, midday – 8pm
Manor House, New Millennium Chamber, Church Street.
Read more on this story in the two-page special report inside today's Argus.
Comments(34)
Falstaff
says...
4:37pm Mon 6 Feb 12
Busterblister wrote:Er, none. Every wind farm needs conventional power stations to back it up when the wind is not blowing, which is pretty variable. Power stations on standby still consume large amounts of fuel. The Danish experience, where they have vast quantities of wind farms, is that they have to import a large percentage of their electricity from other countries at high costs. Much though it would be nice to run the country on wind power, it's not practical and is hugely costly. The only reason wind farms are built is because they attract very large subsidies to make them profitable. And we pay the subsidies. It would be very much more sensible if all governments banded together to develop fusion power - an almost unlimited source of power without a nuclear weapons byproduct. At the moment, it's a theory. As a reality, it could be world-changing.
Will this be workable when wind farm subsidies are slashed?
How many power stations will close as a result of building this wind farm?
Hove Actually
says...
4:57pm Mon 6 Feb 12
Busterblister wrote:Every so called "green" power sorce needs 100% back up form Gas or Nucular powered generation which actually ends up costing more.
Will this be workable when wind farm subsidies are slashed?
How many power stations will close as a result of building this wind farm?
The fact is we could be carbon Zero tomorrow and it would not matter a jot in the scheme of things, as China and India INCREASE their carbon output on a daily basis.
jordanchaos
says...
5:13pm Mon 6 Feb 12
Saffron
says...
5:46pm Mon 6 Feb 12
Hove Actually
says...
5:57pm Mon 6 Feb 12
jordanchaos wrote:Just read in the Telegraph about the aviation coabon tax that came into force on the 1st Jan
Would you not say it's a bit of a defeatist attitude to say not bother because China and India are increasing carbon output?
The inclusion of airlines in the ETS system is opposed by the United States, China, India, Russia and other nations
Just about say it all regarding this if we are all in it together.......
jordanchaos
says...
6:11pm Mon 6 Feb 12
Britain has the responsability as an educated and progressive country to spearhead environmental inititives.
Buy your logic you might as well stop breathing because you'll only die anyway.
Joshiman
says...
6:11pm Mon 6 Feb 12
Hove Actually
says...
6:22pm Mon 6 Feb 12
jordanchaos wrote:No really but if someone told you to suck the water out of a swimming pool whilst others were filling it with a fire hose, and they want you to pay extra for the privilage of doing so..................
I didn't say we are all in this together.
Britain has the responsability as an educated and progressive country to spearhead environmental inititives.
Buy your logic you might as well stop breathing because you'll only die anyway.
.........
Yes I agree something must be done on a Globel level but what has all the so called "green taxes" been spent on? because the government cannot tell you as they go into general tax pots to spend on wars etc
norfolkboy14
says...
6:25pm Mon 6 Feb 12
Joshiman
says...
6:26pm Mon 6 Feb 12
Wind farms off the Sussex coast.Beautiful Sussex Downs being earmarked for permanent travellers camp sites.Doubling of car parking charges.Council tax increases.More gridlock for the poor car driver.Where will it end .They have only been in power a short time and look what is going on here.
GRANDAD
says...
7:28pm Mon 6 Feb 12
I can assure him that this type of operation has been carried out time and time again with very little damage of lasting nature to the habitat.
However, the infrastucture required to permanently service these wind farms in terms of installation and maintainance from shore to turbine positions will be ongoing and relentless. Spares to be delivered by lorries, erection and construction and possible sea bed damage will far outweigh the cabling installation.Power station maintainance can be carried out in one position within the station site. Even cursory inspections of turbines require boats, crews and whatever specialised equipment required to be taken on board deisel engined boats and driven to each indiviual turbine. If further maintainance is required heavier and more prolonged visits required to each position. Costs are extensive in money, fuel and labour. Cabling once installed is reinstated easily to very similar as before if not better and rarely requires visitation. I would respectfully suggest it would be better to worry more about the turbine installation initially and on an ongoing basis.
saveHOVE
says...
9:27pm Mon 6 Feb 12
The print edition of the Argus included more detail, including mention of danger to birds. This is a migration flight path south for garden birds, rare birds, the starlings and of course could thresh a few seagulls along the way.
The rare peregrine falcon is thought to have a taste for starlings which they will go out to sea to hunt and if flocks try to escape in the direction of the turbines, we lose the flock and we lose the falcon.
In the weekend Financial Times Money supplement, I read that there is a shortage of solar pv panels developing because Germany is hoovering in all the stock and solaring up like billy-o.
Why arn't we?
saveHOVE
says...
9:42pm Mon 6 Feb 12
The FT article reports: "....the Renewable Energy Association has warned that the UK could face a shortage of photovoltaic panels, as global demand - led by Germany - has recently increased".
Wind turbines are heading for dinosaur technology status and solar is the future along with combined heat and power generation in homes and etc.
mustaphaLeeko
says...
11:06pm Mon 6 Feb 12
Anyway, I'm quite happy to have some pretty windmills way out to see, it will provide some jobs for the area too, so stop belly aching people and get a life! lol!
mustaphaLeeko
says...
11:08pm Mon 6 Feb 12
mustaphaLeeko wrote:oh and "see" is a typo before you lot moan, should have been "sea"!
If they harnessed all the hot air on The Argus forum they could power the whole of Brighton without wind turbines! Anyway, I'm quite happy to have some pretty windmills way out to see, it will provide some jobs for the area too, so stop belly aching people and get a life! lol!
sick of whingers
says...
11:37pm Mon 6 Feb 12
Angryoldman
says...
7:09am Tue 7 Feb 12
Morpheus
says...
8:49am Tue 7 Feb 12
binge
says...
8:59am Tue 7 Feb 12
The trouble is will they survive an 79-80 mile gale - we are due for one son
Nlys
says...
9:17am Tue 7 Feb 12
Thus scheme, according to E.ON, might have a headline capacity of 666MW (185 x 3.6MW turbines). This is about the headline capacity of a standard, small gas-fuelled power station. However, the gas-fuelled power station (which would still have to be built to back up erratic wind production) would not attract the subsidies of £157.5 million PER YEAR that consumers would be forced to pay for this scheme (calculated using current average ROC price at auction and a conservative 30% load factor).
SteveHove
says...
10:58am Tue 7 Feb 12
SteveHove
says...
11:05am Tue 7 Feb 12
.co.uk/news/article-
1323228/Queens-38m-y
ear-offshore-windfar
m-windfall--owns-sea
bed.html
Nlys
says...
12:44pm Tue 7 Feb 12
clare_giggles
says...
4:30pm Tue 7 Feb 12
sick of whingers
says...
11:19pm Tue 7 Feb 12
clare_giggles wrote:Get a life it is a wheel comment on the issue dont split hairs
Can I just say, it is the Brighton Eye NOT the Brighton Wheel - please use the correct name.
Brightonlad
says...
11:25pm Tue 7 Feb 12
Hard times
says...
12:30am Wed 8 Feb 12
SteveHove wrote:You just quoted a link to the daily mail website...
sorry forgot the to put the link http://www.dailymail
.co.uk/news/article-
1323228/Queens-38m-y
ear-offshore-windfar
m-windfall--owns-sea
bed.html
You may aswell have posted a link to the onion.
Bizarre how the Nimbys can still find problems with offshore power....
Nlys
says...
9:28am Wed 8 Feb 12
Ernski
says...
3:17pm Wed 8 Feb 12
There have been a few studies regarding it which are on the net.
They also release a magnetic field from the cables transmitting the generated power to the shore. The sea bed is also affected in the vicinity of the masts, in that they effect water movement.
E-on could chose to install them on the cheap and basically do the min required to lessen the impact on the marine environment, or do a more expensive job and try to mitigate the impact on marine life.
Also there are other issues such as bird strikes, boating traffic, kite surfers etc.
I have been surprised just how many off-shore wind farms there are around the coasts of Europe now, basically they are everywhere and there is already a backlash starting to mount up in places such as Holland.
People should maybe bring up these points at the various road-shows they are doing soon.
Also on a general point- as reported in today's (08/02) Guardian - the seas of the world are becoming polluted with noise (sonar, ships propellers etc), which is having a major effect on marine life around the world.
So maybe at some point we've got to stop trashing the marine environment as we have already done on the land.
spuldge
says...
11:18am Fri 10 Feb 12
Wind power is a scam. It's doesn't reduce carbon emissions, it's wholly unreliable ('non-despatchable' in the industry jargon) and inefficient as an energy source.
This figure of 700MW takes no account of the difference between actual MWh generated from wind farms and the potential maximum, which is known as the Load Factor. The load factor for on and off-shore wind farms is roughly 26%, so you can knock that 700MW down to 175MW for starters.
This scheme is a disgraceful waste of consumer's money. We will be paying for this through increased energy bills to pay E-ON their Renewals Obligation subsidy.
Ropa511
says...
5:14pm Sat 11 Feb 12
And all this for something that is going to net the Crown estate a packet, and is something that is of questionable environmental impact.
Bottom line if we seriously want to save the planet, then we need to use less gas and electricity in the first place, buy less rubbish that we do not actually need, and have less children.
Davrow
says...
5:16pm Sun 12 Feb 12
To the person whinging about looking out to Sea { see } to avoid looking at Newhaven, good luck on your travels and hope you avoid the traffic and Lamp-posts while you admire the turbines.
ken standing
says...
5:12am Wed 15 Feb 12
The challenge is to accept that nuclear power is the - not ideal - answer to the whole problem.
Busterblister says...
4:19pm Mon 6 Feb 12
How many power stations will close as a result of building this wind farm?