Triple whammy for wind as Europe's biggest onshore project goes ahead

Jul 21, 2008 - British Wind Energy Association

Clyde Wind Farm to provide electricity for 250 000 homes, London Array back on track - and wind overtakes hydro as leading source of renewable electricity in the UK.

BWEA, UK's leading renewable energy association, welcomed today' consent for Europe's largest onshore wind farm. The Clyde project, developed by Scottish and Southern, will comprise of 152 turbines delivering electricity to over 250 000 homes.

On a good day for the wind energy sector Shell also announced it has successfully completed the sale of its stake in the London Array to its two former partners E.ON and DONG Energy, which was welcomed today by Secretary of State John Hutton as "great news".

Both pieces of news come shortly after publication of the BERR Energy Trends report showing that wind in 2007 has for the first time overtaken hydro as the primary source of renewable electricity.

Welcoming today's news Adam Bruce, Head of Sustainable Development at SSE and BWEA Chairman said "The Scottish Ministers' consent on Clyde bodes well for reaching EU 2020 targets, as delivering projects of this size will be integral to meeting the challenge of sourcing 15% of all our energy from renewables within the next 12 years."

Both the Clyde Wind Farm and the London Array will be commissioned in phases, with the electricity from Clyde starting to reach consumers in 2010. Adam Bruce said "Today's developments show what can be done when industry and Government work together. Year on year we are increasing wind's participation in the energy mix and have proved renewables are now a mainstream source of electricity. "

The British Wind Energy Association is the trade and professional body for the UK wind and marine renewables industries. Formed in 1978, and with over 400 corporate members, BWEA is the leading renewable energy trade association in the UK. Wind has been the world's fastest growing renewable energy source for the last seven years, and this trend is expected to continue with falling costs of wind energy and the urgent international need to tackle CO2 emissions to prevent climate change.