UK county opposes 970 MW Navitus Bay wind scheme - report

Aug 25, 2014 - The Dorset county council plans to fight against the development of the 970-MW Navitus Bay offshore wind project near the Isle of Wight in southern England chiefly on lanscape concerns, the Dorset Echo said on Saturday.

The Council has prepared a report that points to the negative visual effect of the proposed park, its impact on Britain's only World Heritage site -- the Jurassic Coast, as well as concerns over the loss of habitat. The impact on tourism has also been defined as a reason for the Council’s opposition.

The report will be presented to Dorset County Council’s regulatory committee on September 5. If approved, it will go to the Planning Inspectorate, which accepted the project application for examination in May. The Dorset County Council plans to ask the authority to consider bird migration, noise and electromagnetic radiation effects from the planned facility, as well as test the developer’s assertion about the plant’s expected output.

The Navitus Bay offshore wind farm will consist of 194 wind turbines, each with a capacity of 5 MW, and is expected to produce enough power to meet the annual needs of about 700,000 households. The developer, Navitus Bay Development Ltd, is a 50/50 joint venture between Dutch energy group Eneco Holding NV and French utility EDF's (EPA:EDF) renewable energy arm. The project will be subject to final consideration by the British government.

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