14 DAY TRIAL // This February 19, Dong Energy, E.On, and Abu Dhabi-based renewable energy company Masdar went public with the news that the world's largest wind farm, i.e. the London Array, would not expand to 1 gigawatt of capacity, but remain its current size.
Information shared with the public says that plans to add more wind turbines to the London Array have been dropped due to the fact that, for the time being, specialists are unable to say how the extension will affect local wildlife.
According to Business Green, it will be about three years before a thorough assessment of the expanded wind farm's potential impact on wildlife is completed.
It is only after specialists are done analyzing this issue that Dong Energy, E.ON, and Masdar can again start looking into the possibility of fitting the London Array with more turbines and thus up its overall energy generating capacity.
By the looks of it, the wildlife that researchers fear the extension of the farm will have a negative impact on is birds, especially red-throated divers.
Commenting on the decision to halt plans to make the world's largest wind farm even bigger, General Manager Mike O'Hare stated as follows:
“Phase 2 has always been subject to a Grampian condition requiring London Array to demonstrate that any change caused by the additional turbines to the habitat of the red throated divers that overwinter in this part of the Thames estuary would not compromise its status as a designated environmental Special Protection Area.”
“We believe it will take until at least January 2017 for that data to be collected and, although initial findings from the existing Phase 1 site look positive, there is no guarantee at the end of three years that we will be able to satisfy the authorities that any impact on the birds would be acceptable,” he added.
Now that plans to add more turbines to the London Array have been put on hold, the Crown Estate has been asked to terminate the lease for the intended Phase 2 area.
As well as this, the remaining grid capacity reserved at the National Grid substation at Cleve Hill in Kent has been canceled.
“In the absence of any certainty that Phase 2 would be able to go ahead, our shareholders have decided to surrender The Crown Estate agreement for lease on the site, terminate the grid connection option, and concentrate on other development projects in their individual portfolios,” said Mike O'Hare.