| Wind Watch is a registered educational charity, founded in 2005. |
Wind Power News: England
These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch in its noncommercial educational effort to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of National Wind Watch. They are the products of and owned by the organizations or individuals noted and are shared here according to “fair use” and “fair dealing” provisions of copyright law.
Norfolk Boreas: Work on offshore wind farm stops over soaring costs
Work has stopped on one of the UK’s largest offshore wind farms after its developer said it no longer made financial sense to continue. The Swedish energy giant Vattenfall is to shut down development of the Norfolk Boreas site, off the Norfolk coast. Market conditions had deteriorated since it signed a contract to fix the price of electricity it sells for 15 years, the company said. Two other sites, known as Vanguard East and Vanguard West, will be reviewed. Chief . . . Complete story »
Wind farm off Yorkshire coast approved despite seabird impact
A proposed wind farm off the Yorkshire coast has been approved, after it was held that impact on marine birdlife could be compensated for. The proposal for the 180-turbine 100 megawatt facility comprised the fourth wind farm in the same zone and one of a series of wind farms along the east coast of England. The examining authority noted that there would be impact on marine ornithology and a marine special protection area. However, it also noted the weighty benefits . . . Complete story »
Suffolk campaigners lose offshore wind farm legal battle
A campaign group that raised concerns about the creation of two wind farms off Suffolk has lost a High Court fight with ministers. Suffolk Energy Action Solutions (SEAS) challenged a decision made last year to allow wind farms to be developed by two subsidiaries of Scottish Power. It argued that in doing so, the then business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng had acted unlawfully. A judge on Friday dismissed the group’s challenge. SEAS had also raised concern about the ability of landowners . . . Complete story »
Drainage schemes for Hornsea wind farm to address flooding
A series of areas across the Norfolk countryside which could be dug up for new drainage schemes have been revealed. The developer behind one of the UK’s largest wind farm projects is planning a series of works to help address any potential flood risk from the plan. All the works will be along the cable route of Danish energy company Ørsted’s Hornsea Three project. The cables will be laid in a 35-mile-long trench from Weybourne to Swardeston, south of Norwich, . . . Complete story »
Wind turbines blamed for death of birds in Sussex – ‘Very traumatic’
A concerned local resident, who asked to be kept anonymous, has documented dozens of deaths at Shoreham Port dating back to 2017. If not instantly killed, the birds later had to be euthanised. After becoming aware of the situation, Sussex nature enthusiast Ian Martin, who regularly visits the harbour, offered his support behind a campaign for change. Ian, from Mile Oak in East Sussex, said: “I met a person recently down at the port and has been keeping records with . . . Complete story »
10 months after fire, Hull wind turbine dismantled
A fixture of Hull’s skyline for the past 15 years is being dismantled – as these pictures show. Taken by local photographer Bob Carter, they show a huge mechanical arm cutting through one of the blades of the turbine off Oak Road, which was badly damaged by a fire in August last year. Built in 2008, the turbine, near the banks of the River Hull, stands 125m (410ft) tall. It was able to generate up to two million watts of . . . Complete story »
Revolt over energy plans threatens Tory support in minister’s backyard
Along a beautiful stretch of England’s east coast, an ugly dispute is exposing the problems inherent in building the country’s future energy system. The wind farms to be erected in the North Sea are vast in scale and will one day generate enough power for 1.5 million homes. They are central to the government’s push to hit climate targets and lower energy bills. But to get the power from the new turbines into the national grid, a sprawling complex of . . . Complete story »
Wind turbine near Heath and Reach out of action ‘for months’ as it waits for replacement part
A nearby resident claims it’s been out of service for up to four months. A wind turbine close to the A5 at Heath and Reach has been temporarily put out of action because of a mechanical fault – with one resident claiming that it hasn’t been working for months. The structure at the Checkley Wood wind turbine substation is awaiting a replacement part, according to Conservative Central Bedfordshire Council ward councillor Mark Versallion. And it appears to have been out . . . Complete story »
Hopes that new prime minister could stop controversial construction of pylons through Suffolk
Hopes have been raised that new prime minister Rishi Sunak will stop a 110-mile line of electricity pylons being built through the Suffolk countryside. The 50m-high pylons, running from Norfolk to Essex, are being proposed as part of National Grid’s ‘East Anglia GREEN’ project – which seeks to carry electricity from wind farms off the Norfolk coast down to the Greater London area. Thousands of people across the region have expressed concern over the scheme’s visual and habitat impacts, with . . . Complete story »
Sussex wind farm criticised by Middleton campaign group
Proposals for wind turbines the size of the Eiffel Tower have been slammed by campaigners calling for the project to be scrapped. Zoe Visram, a member of the Middleton-on-Sea Coastal Alliance (Mosca), has criticised new plans which would see cables for the Rampion 2 extension cut across the South Downs. Mosca, which has opposed the plans for several years, also condemned Rampion for cutting the project down to 90 turbines, saying this number was still far higher than initial suggestions. . . . Complete story »
