March 25, 2014
Wales

North Wales wind farm bomb exploded

By David Powell | Daily Post | Mar 24, 2014 | www.dailypost.co.uk

The first of three unexploded WWII bombs found near a windfarm has been detonated at sea.

Specialist contractors carried out a controlled explosion on the device on the seabed in Liverpool Bay, eight miles off Pensarn, near Abergele.

RWE Innogy UK, which is building the 160-turbine Gwynt y Môr windfarm, claimed that nothing could be seen from shore in the noon blast and that there was “little impact on the sea surface”.

The underwater explosion measured 1.1 on the Richter Scale according to the British Geological Survey – it must be at least 2.5 to be felt on the sea surface.

RWE is working with Ramora UK, a specialist bomb disposal company, and other contractors to carry out further controlled explosions.

Natural Resources Wales had granted a Marine Licence and a European Protected Species Licence to protect seals and other mammals for the “removal works” for the unexploded ordnance (known as UXO).

The bombs were first found on January 28.

A small amount of explosive charge was applied to the device in today’s blast.

oby Edmonds, RWE Innogy UK’s Gwynt y Môr Project Director, said: “The first of the three unexploded bombs found was successfully disposed of following a controlled explosion.

“As expected, the detonation had little impact on the surface of the sea. Two further bombs will be dealt with in a similar way in the coming days.”

Mr Edmonds added: “During the operation, a 1,000 metre exclusion zone was put in place to ensure the safety of everyone involved and those operating close to the windfarm.

“Work has now resumed in the offshore site while we wait for a further opportunity to carry out controlled explosions on the remaining UXOs.”

David Welch, Ramora UK’s managing director and senior explosives officer, described such finds are “common”.

He said: “The offshore renewable energy sector is a key and growing market for our specialist bomb disposal services.

“We are delighted to be providing a safe and expedient solution to this challenging situation, one which has become common place at numerous windfarm sites around the UK coast since 2008.”

Davy Galloway, of the British Geological Survey in Edinburgh, described the detonation as the “equivalent of a quarry blast”.

Gwynt y Môr is a £2billion offshore windfarm which is set to generate enough energy from renewable sources to power the equivalent of approximately 400,000 homes when it is fully operational later this year.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/03/25/north-wales-wind-farm-bomb-exploded/