The first turbine installation at the Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm
Windfarm could benefit Suffolk and Norfolk
By Anthony Carroll
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
6:30 AM
A planning decision which paves the way for a major extension of a wind farm off the Suffolk coast has been welcomed by an MP and an enterprise zone boss yesterday as a job boost to Norfolk as well.
Thousands of jobs could be created by a huge new wind farm set to be built off the Suffolk coast, which would have up to 140 turbines.
Developers of the Galloper Wind Farm, Lowestoft-based RWE npower Renewables and SSE Renewables, have been told by the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) that the project met strict planning guidelines, including involvement of local authorities and communities.
If finally approved by the government, the 504 megawatt wind farm will be an extension to the Greater Gabbard wind farm, which is under construction 16.8miles off the Suffolk coast south of Lowestoft and has already begun to generate power through giant turbines up to 195 metres high.
Both wind farms will have the same number of turbines and between them could potentially provide power for more than one million homes.
As well as Suffolk, it is hoped that Norfolk will benefit from the extension, with Great Yarmouth in a prime position to scoop jobs due to its growing reputation as a renewable energy and off shore industry hub.
Yarmouth MP Brandon Lewis said: “It is an important skills and job opportunity for Yarmouth. It is now important that we train up people in Yarmouth to the skills set needed for the renewable sector.”
Andy Wood, chairman of the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “This planning decision is very good news and brings significant investment in our area one step closer.
“Offshore wind offers significant opportunities to Suffolk and Norfolk and we are working to capitalise on these opportunities through our Enterprise Zone and the designation of Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft as a national Centre for Offshore Renewable Engineering.”
The new development will include onshore infrastructure such as a new electricity substation at Sizewell, cable corridors and compounds.
RWE npower Renewables and SSE Renewables will now invite members of the public to have their say on the plans, before the IPC appoints examiners who will spend up to six months looking at the proposals in detail.
The IPC will then have three months to make a final recommendation, and the Government will then have a further three months to make a final decision.
Welcoming the IPC planning decision on Monday, Waveney MP Peter Aldous said: “This is good news at the start of a process which I hope will result in significant benefits to the whole region.
“Offshore wind power is a central part of our huge potential for growth in the energy sector and I look forward to working with colleagues at SSE and RWE to do all I can to help.”
Suffolk Coastal MP Dr Therese Coffey said: “It is good news that the project to bring more sustainable energy resilience to our Green Coast is moving forward. This will provide a good basis for jobs off our shoreline.
“However, now is also the time for any constituents who are concerned about the application, particularly the bringing onshore of cables, to have their say.”
The Greater Gabbard scheme, which began construction in 2009, should be completed next year with turbines capable of generating enough power for about 530,000 homes.
Public consultation on plans for the Galloper Wind Farm finished in the summer. If all goes to plan work should start in 2014, with completion by the end of 2016.
These plans are running alongside those proposed by Scottish Power Renewables and Swedish company Vattenfall Wind Power for a massive wind farm off the Norfolk and Suffolk coast which, according to the two companies, will eventually generate 7,200MW, enough for more than five million homes.
They are likely to hand a planning application in for the first phase of the scheme, known as East Anglia ONE, towards the end of next year.
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18 comments
havent we heard this promise of 1000's and 1000's of jobs somewhere before. Ill belive it when i see it.
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timmy_two_sheds
Friday, December 23, 2011
Are messages delayed on here to give Archant time to censore them?. The Journal has been ramming the so called benefits of these contraptions down our throats ever since I can remember.
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kevin bacon
Friday, December 23, 2011
Lets hope they work better than that useless contraption at ness point .If we all relied on that for electricity we'd be eating carrots by the ton. These hideous mostrosities provide plenty of work for foreigners,are ineefficient and an eyesore.They aren't going to last long but they're popular with the sandal wearing tree huggers who create the most noice in parliament these days with their strident and illinformed eco this that and the other arguments. By the way,whats happened to Lowestoft Online?
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kevin bacon
Friday, December 23, 2011
As long as they are built offshore, they are at least in with a chance. They can be as big and noisy as you wish, big is good in this busines. Where they are comprehensively useless is on land, now big is bad and noisy is intolerable. No more on land, where they always invite controversy, as many as you like offshore.
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Ian
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Why should we support the wind farms Hodger, when, even you have admitted it, the jobs are for people from away So don't you or Castle give us that "lots of jobs" rubbish. Even the jack up ships have crews from away, yet it is a local company who "supposedly" owns them. What happens when they have all been built. Lowestoft & Yarmouth will become one big deralict site, with all the maintenence jobs going up north. Even the Dutch are abandoning wind power (look in the Dutch News website, archives), because it is proven to be expensive, unrealiable, and does not give any tangible benefit to the Dutch people. (a bit like Yarmouth council !)
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"V"
Thursday, December 22, 2011
For all of those who are currently mocking the creation of jobs, and benefit to the local economy. The Greater Gabbard project directly employs around 150 people at its lowestoft operating base, indirectly hundreds of others are employed supporting the project. Many of these people are not from the local area due to the lack of expertise presently in the locality, these are all staying in local hotels and spending in local stores, generating tens of thousands of pounds annually. There is also already support from many local firms who have been awarded major contracts further increasing investment in the area, not to mention the multi-million pound redevelopement of its site carried out by local firms. These projects have long term prospects for the local communities and should be encouraged, as they do make a difference to the local economy, many local companies are now starting to see benefit, stop mocking, start supporting.
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steven hodger
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Amazes me to see the same merry band rubbishing every new contract coming to Yarmouth and Lowestoft. They will and are already making a difference. Doesn't stop the Government getting on with a new Nuclear Power facility at Sizewell. We need Oil & Gas, Nuclear and Renewable Energy and Yarmouth and Lowestoft can benefit from all 3.
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Mick Castle
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Here we go again more over hype claptrap about the wind farms. And the thousands of false jobs that are coming to the locals faster than falling confetti, Its jobs for the few not the many.
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Sifu
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Well said Albert Cooper. This country seems to be not just anti nuclear but anti everything - windfarms, incinerator, pylons, phone masts, runways and the list goes on. As usual we are on the back foot playing catch up.
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Sinders
Thursday, December 22, 2011
We could have had Nuclear Powered Generation in operation by no,as the French but no we had all the GreenLeft WingC.N.D all whinging against it,now we have costs reflected in our energy bills,and a Nuclear Plan all set up that will take decades to start operating
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Albert Cooper
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Vattenfall Wind Power is wholly owned by the Swedish government.
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nrg
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Why do all the local politicians and press believe otherwise....side note Vattenfall Wind Power is wholly owned by the Swedish government.
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nrg
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
This regurgitated 'thousands' of wind farm jobs, has another monthly or so airing
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nrg
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
This regurgitated 'thousands' of wind farm jobs, has another monthly or so airing . Denmark, Norway and Sweden have the experience and the mobile workforce to carry out all the work needed to build these inefficient and costly energy form. Why do all the local politicians and press believe otherwise....side note Vattenfall Wind Power is wholly owned by the Swedish government.
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nrg
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Windfarm COULD benefit norfolk and suffolk. I dont think so what a load of tosh from archant anglia i guess they get payed to report this rubbish sadly the jobs if any will be specialist and that means no local jobs terrible really.
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vinny.p
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Thousands of jobs - doing what and for how long? What about the effect on the sea and landscape? How much public money will be wasted on this inefficient project? How will the power be connected to the grid - pylons? How long will it be before politicians admit that wind energy is a dead duck? Are you disillusioned by rising electricity prices, over dependence on the "green" dream [especially uneconomical and inefficient wind farms] and the destruction of our countryside then please register your objection by googling "22958 Norfolk".
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David Ramsbotham
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Why are they still putting in this old technology when much better designs are out there?
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COLD
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Haha not more thousands of jobs? I thought that the Outer Harbour was going to do this?
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wes1975
Wednesday, December 21, 2011