Vattenfall reports work on its 150-MW Ormonde offshore wind farm has already begun. The wind farm, located in the Irish Sea ten kilometres from the English coastal town of Barrow-in-Furness, will comprise thirty five-megawatt REpower wind turbines. Vattenfall plans to connect the wind farm in late 2011. Meanwhile, according to its developer-owners (a consortium of German utilities comprising Vattenfall, E. ON and EWE), the first German offshore wind farm, Alpha Ventus, with a total capacity of 60 MW, has been connected to the grid. The wind farm is made up of twelve REpower wind turbines and is located 45 kilometres from the island of Borlum. It cost €250 million to build.
Elsewhere, sources of the French press report that France’s Environment Minister, Jean-Louis Borloo, has promised to announce by the end of May, the ten areas suitable for the installation of offshore wind farms. According to the local press, the French government will seek to auction off licences for these areas, probably in September. It is estimated that a total of 3,000 MW would be auctioned off. Borloo expects that the process of awarding licences will be completed a year later. The French auction is part of government plans setting a goal of reaching six GW of accumulated offshore wind power around its coasts by 2020, plus a further 19 GW onshore.
Meanwhile, in Germany, Nordex announced earlier this month that it has signed a contract to take a 40% stake in the first phase of the 300-MW Arcadis Ost 1 offshore wind farm located sixteen kilometres northeast of the island of Rugen in the Baltic Sea. The remaining 60% stake belongs to WV Energie AG. The agreement, which still requires approval from competition authorities, will involve Nordex developing a new multi-megawatt offshore wind turbine.
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