In the government consultation document 'Future Offshore' launched last month ahead of the forthcoming Energy Review to 2020, the Thames Estuary, the Wash, and the west coast from the Solway Firth to North Wales were identified as sites for expansion. Significantly, the government removed existing limits which restricted windfarms to 30 turbines. This will enable much larger windfarms such as those currently being developed by world-leading Denmark.

The government also indicated its intention to pass primary legislation to allow windfarm development in shallow waters beyond the 12 mile territorial limit. Similar legislation enabled the expansion of offshore oil and gas exploration in the North Sea.

Interest has been expressed in using existing oil and gas rigs as part of offshore windfarms.

The government is to complete strategic environmental assessments of the three designated areas by April 2003 in order to speed development. Traditional objectors to land based windfarms from the countryside lobby will be less concerned by those out of sight at sea and even the RSPB regards global warming as a greater threat to bird habitats than windfarms.

The global market for offshore renewables is predicted to reach £8 billion by 2007, primarily in Europe which currently has 74% of the world's installed wind energy capacity. The United Kingdom has more than five times the potential offshore wind resources of any other European country.

The British Wind Energy Association believes there is the potential to produce triple the UK demand for electricity from within territorial waters and far more if extending beyond the 12 mile limit.

MJ Information No: 17712