UK's 1.2-GW Atlantic Array wind project not to be revived - report

Dec 16, 2013 - The Bristol Channel is no longer regarded by the UK Crown Estate as a possible destination for the development of offshore wind projects, eliminating all hopes for a possible revival of the 1.2-GW Atlantic Array scheme, the BBC said Friday.

The Cornwall Business Council hoped to recover plans for the 1.2-GW project, which the renewables unit of German RWE AG (ETR:RWE) abandoned at the end of November saying it was not viable at the time.

The broadcaster cited Devon & Cornwall Business Council's chairman Tim Jones as saying that the project had been erased from the map and that the licence, previously secured by RWE, would not be awarded to another company. The Bristol Channel zone is no longer regarded as a viable investment opportunity at the present time and work is not to be undertaken in the foreseeable future, a spokesperson for the Crown Estate said, as quoted by the BBC.

RWE Innogy had proposed to build the wind power facility off the north Devon coast. In March it reduced the number of turbines at the planned wind farm from 278 to 240, thus cutting its maximum capacity from 1.5 GW to 1.2 GW. The farm was estimated to produce enough power for up to 900,000 households.

(GBP 1.0 = USD 1.630/EUR 1.185)

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