The topic of this weeks Friday Photo is the Burbo Bank Offshore Windfarm.
The photo isn’t one I’ve managed to take myself – it’s from the library of the company that manages the wind farm, Dong Energy from Denmark.
The photo is also topical because the size of Burbo Bank windfarm is set increase, possibly up to 90 turbines. Dong were granted permission by the Crown Estate in May 2010 to install additional turbines on the seabed. The Crown Estate owns much of the sea bed (out to 12 nautical miles) and foreshores around the UK coastline. Out of interest, did you know that the Crown Estate owns the Wirral “half” of the River Mersey while much of the Liverpool “half” is owned by the Duchy of Lancaster?
There are currently 25 turbines in the Burbo Bank wind farm. Dong Energy is now undertaking a public consultation exercise ahead of any planning application. The company indicates the expansion of the windfarm could create 2,000 construction jobs and the project cost is likely to be in the region of £450m. If planning permission is granted, work is not expected to start until 2014 at the earliest.
Dong will be presenting a number of expansion options at public meetings later this month. The number of additional turbines has not been decided and in part the decision will be based on the size of turbines installed. The larger the turbine propellers, the fewer required.
You can find out more about the proposals at forthcoming presentation on Wirral in New Brighton and Hoylake.
A meeting is being held at the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton on May 20th and at Hoylake Community Centre on May 21. Both presentations are open between noon and 6pm.
Thanks to those readers who emailed me with the news of the public consultation.
You can always have your say here of course – feel free to leave a comment below.
Complete waste of money and big blot on our lovely landscape. Theyll do it anyway despite their ‘consultation exercise’
agreed it has been proved that you could cover the whole of the uk with these things and it wouldnt make a hapeworth of difference, there is no need to put anymore out there its just a jobmaking exercise, I bet the jobs it creates wont even by local workforce either will be outsiders.
I think that one of the most beautiful vistas in the Wirral – the view of Hilbre from grange hill – was ruined by the Rhyl windfarm.
It was only when I drove past it in Wales that I realised where it was, and I would not have thought that it could be so visible from West Kirby.