UK’s green energy success with world’s biggest wind farm
The UK’s green energy industry received a huge boost when the world’s largest offshore wind farm became fully operational on August 31.
The Hornsea 2 project, 55 miles off the cost of Yorkshire, will generate enough electricity to power about 1.3 million homes – that’s enough for a city the size of Manchester.
“It is a huge step forward for our country and hopefully eventually cheaper energy bills for householders,” said Midlands green energy expert Ron Fox. “To show what has been achieved, ten years ago renewables provided just 11 per cent of the UK’s energy, now it is 40 per cent and growing and offshore wind is the largest component.”
The wind farm has 165 turbines and covers an area about four and half times the size of Liverpool.
Each one is about 200 metres tall from sea level to the top of the 81 metre blades and a single rotation takes six seconds providing enough energy to power a home for a day.
Hornsea 2 has taken the world largest title from its neighbour Hornsea 1, but it won’t keep its title for long as there are even larger projects under construction nearby in the North Sea.
The Dogger Bank wind farm, which when fully built will be able to power 6 million homes, is due to start coming on stream next year.
The UK is one of the world leaders in offshore wind playing a crucial role in helping the government reach its target of de-cabonising the production of electricity by 2035.
But there are no quick solutions. Offshore wind projects take about five years from planning consent to full operation, but they are harder to build than onshore wind farms which can be up and running in about a year.
“The problem, said Ron, is that under the UK planning process it needs only a single person to object to stop an onshore wind farm, whereas the giant offshore turbines are out of the way, so no one can say they are infringing on their homes and countryside.”
However, Ron pointed out that householders won’t see some of the benefits of the promised low-cost power until April next year and won’t enjoy the full benefit until April 2024 because of delays by the Danish energy group Orsted, which was given contract by the government in 2017 for the Hornsea 2 project to provide power to businesses and households for 15 years.
“But offshore turbines are still the perfect answer to provide green, renewable electricity and help the UK achieve net zero ambitions,” said Ron, of Noreus Ltd on the University of Keele Science Innovation Park.
“It’s a win, win situation as it helps make the UK more self-sufficient and less reliant on Russian oil and gas, at the same time as providing jobs for British workers.”
For more information on how to cut your carbon footprint, call Ron on 01782 756995.
Caption: Blowing in – offshore wind turbines are providing more and more green energy.
