Plans to expand Walney wind farm being examined by UK Communities Secretary

Plants to treble the size of the Walney wind farm, located off the coast of Cumbria, are being examined by the UK Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles. The plans, if passed, would increase the number of turbines in the wind farm from its present 102 to 309, thereby enabling the facility to supply electricity for an additional 500,000 homes and businesses. The plans would also extend the wind farm to cover an area of 57 square miles with a capacity of just over 1.1GW.

The extension plans were submitted by Danish developers DONG Energy and have now been accepted for examination by planning officials.

“We are very pleased that the Planning Inspectorate has accepted our application for the extension and this is an important step on the way to the project achieving consent” said Cliff Pullen, Walney Extension Project Development Manager at DONG Energy. “If the project goes ahead, it will be one of the biggest in the world and will contribute significantly towards the UK’s 2020 renewable energy generation target, providing clean, green power to over 500,000 homes. Barrow is home to three DONG Energy operational bases, and while no final decision has been made about where Walney Extension could be operated from, we recognise that Barrow is becoming a hub for renewables in the North West and has many positives for us to consider.”

Members of the public can register themselves as ‘interested parties’ as the project has now reached its “pre-examination stage”. The public will also be able to view the plans and submit their views to the Planning Inspectorate, which will then report back to the Communities Secretary who will have the final decision on whether the extension can proceed.

The Walney wind farm originally opened in February 2012 and currently generates enough power for 320,000 homes. The new turbines could be completed by 2017 if the plans are approved.

Further information:

DONG Energy