E.On For Humber

E.ON through its subsidiary company Humber Wind Ltd, has just submitted its planning application for the development of the 300 MW Humber Gateway Offshore Wind Farm.

The site itself is located near to the north of the mouth of the River Humber, off the Holderness Coast of the East Riding of Yorkshire. It lies just to the East of Spurn Head. At the northernmost point, the site is 8.2km from Easington and 18km from Grimsby.

The area of the site is approximately 35 square kilometres.

The operational life of the project is expected to be 40 years.

The actual proposed site footprint for Humber Gateway was chosen following a lengthy consideration of alternatives and has taken into account shipping navigation and regulartory constraints.

E.ON believes Humber Gateway to be an ideal location for offshore wind energy for a number of reasons, including; High winds, Low waves, Flat and stable seabed and Selection of suitable ports for construction and maintenance.

Extensive discussions with ABP Humber Ports have led to the project being bounded at the south by the shipping lanes approaching the Humber (broadly defined by the ship Traffic Separation Scheme), the 8km coastal exclusion zone set by the DTI.

If planning permission is granted, the Humber Gateway Offshore Wind Farm would consist of between 42 and 83 three bladed turbines The maximum installed capacity would be 300MW, and this would generate enough clean renewable energy to power up to 195,000 homes.

The application is the first since the business and enterprise secretary, John Hutton, called for more than 33 gigawatts of offshore wind-generating capacity to be installed by 2020. The 300-megawatt production of Humber Gateway would be less than one third of a gigawatt.

The opposition from the MoD is likely to make the application a test of the government's commitment to offshore wind farms. The MoD is understood to have objected to the project because it could cause interference with its radar operations.

If its objections are successful it would halt not only E.ON's plans but also those of other companies that are hoping to build wind farms in the area.

"The next generation of large-scale offshore windfarms like Humber Gateway have a vital role to play in the UK's future energy mix. This scheme will displace the emissions of hundreds of thousands of tonnes of carbon dioxide every year and will make a significant contribution to helping the government meet its tough renewable energy targets. E.ON said the MoD had not raised objections when it was initially consulted about Humber Gateway in 2004 and that it was optimistic it could reach agreement. We're speaking to both the MoD and DBERR [Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform] and we're confident that we can find a way forward."
Dr Paul Golby, Chief Executive, E.On