I’ve just read a Guardian article about winds off the coasts of the UK becoming stronger and more constant. Research by a group called Atmos consulting has found wind speeds in the southern part of the North Sea have risen from 7.5 metres per second in 1990 to 8.5 metres per second in 2008.

This is music to the ears of offshore wind developers who rely on a steady flow of strong wind to make sure their turbines are generating electricity. The more renewable energy they generate, the more money investors can make back.

“The research, from Atmos Consulting, has found that wind speeds in these areas have been rising so much that wind farms could generate 50% more electricity than envisaged a decade ago.”

So this is great news for the 10 gigawatt worth of offshore developments being planned at the moment, and will hopefully boost funding for the struggling £3 billion London Array project. The London Array is a wind farm planned off the coast of Essex in the Thames Estuary, aimed to be the largest wind farm in the world with a 1 Gigawatt capacity. But last May Shell pulled out of the consortium of funders leaving a huge gap that hasn’t yet been filled, meaning construction cannot go ahead. This is a real shame considering all planning has been granted and the project is ready to go. Hopefully this latest news will attract a new investor.

http://www.londonarray.com/

Michael

Green Energy Republic