Clean West reports that the London Array is a 1GW nameplate capacity off-shore wind project located 11 km off the south-east coastline of the UK. Over 300 turbines will cover 90 square miles, and it is expected to provide power for 750,000 homes. Or so it was planned.
Since initial formation and permitting in 2006 then the three developers of the London Array - E.ON, Dong Energy and Madsar - have to'd and fro'd through political challenges and financial viability. Indeed in 2008 the project looked likely to collapse.
But no more. Today it was announced that, following a doubling of offshore wind incentives from the government, that the developers will begin construction during the summer of 2008. The 630MW first phase of the London Array, costing two billion pounds, is expected to be operational during 2012, to provide clean power for the 2012 London Olympics.
To put this 1GW project into perspective, the global off-shore wind industry has operational capacity of 1.5GW. The largest single off-shore wind project in operation is less than 200MW.
With one-quarter of Greater London homes soon powered by the London Array and one-half of Scottish homes planned to be powered by multiple off-shore wind projects, then both the UK wind industry and UK wind policy are certainly making substantial strides.
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