Sussex coast windfarm a step closer

easynow · Mar 27, 2013

A wind farm off the coast of Sussex has moved a step closer – but with major question marks against its impact on the environment.

E.On wants to install up to 175 turbines 13km south of Brighton beach as part of its Rampion project.

Bosses believe the offshore site between Worthing and Newhaven will create enough power for about 450,000 homes.

But, as a major step was taken forward in the application, the proposal reveals concerns around the impact on marine life, such as seahorses and herrings.

It comes as the Planning Inspectorate registered the application for the site.

Chris Tomlinson, E.ON development manager for the project, told The Argus yesterday (March 26) he expected a further 12 months of consultation with a final decision expected in May 2014.

He added there had been no decision on the number of turbines which would be at the site.

More details on the plans will be unveiled at an application launch event in The Dome foyer in Church Street, Brighton, on April 9.

Once this is held, members of the public will be allowed to register with the Planning Inspectorate as an interested party in the application.

According to the application, the project would make a “significant contribution” towards the achievement of the Government’s renewable energy target.

It said the rotor diameter of the turbines would be between 112m to 172m.

Sussex coast windfarm a step closer From The Argus)

skipper734 · Mar 27, 2013

I would rather he was in Goal. punish:

However, reports indicate there are fears installation of the huge poles will disrupt marine life in the English Channel.

Superphil · Mar 27, 2013

Screw the sea horses and herrings, they can swim somewhere else. It's wind farms like this that have to be built, all over the world, to allow the planet to move away from fossil fuel useage, it's time the hand wringers started being a little more objective about what they complain about. All IMO of course.

Djmiles · Mar 27, 2013

I wrote my dissertation on the feasibility of constructing an offshore wind farm in Wales, and there is very little evidence anywhere to suggest wind turbines affect marine wildlife in any way.

So screw you hippies.

Stat Brother · Mar 27, 2013

I'm surprised we have 'the wind' so to speak.

hybrid_x · Mar 27, 2013

Superphil said:
Screw the sea horses and herrings, they can swim somewhere else. It's wind farms like this that have to be built, all over the world, to allow the planet to move away from fossil fuel useage, it's time the hand wringers started being a little more objective about what they complain about. All IMO of course.

heheh - the pr has got to you.

the ammount of fossil fuel it takes for maintenance teams three times a year - also they produce hardly any electricity....and its the big oil companies battling it out for this multi billion dollar industry.

wind farms are not the way - i spoke at length to one of the designers and he told me its all about pr, and they are inneficient.

funny how they are called free energy but the elec is sold for corporate profit.

abc · Mar 27, 2013

Superphil said:
Screw the sea horses and herrings, they can swim somewhere else. It's wind farms like this that have to be built, all over the world, to allow the planet to move away from fossil fuel useage, it's time the hand wringers started being a little more objective about what they complain about. All IMO of course.

Totally agree. It's a massive sea out there and I am sure the trawling and tankers dumping their waste do more harm. Unless you live in Daily Mail land of course, where wind turbines don't work, are a massive eye sore and are responsible for all the immigrants and scrounging unemployed. Then in Daily Mail World you suddenly become obsessed with saving the only sea snail left in the world that still speaks with a Sussex accent and can play golf.

franks brother · Mar 27, 2013

Will there be enough wind for all the turbines

Vegas Seagull · Mar 27, 2013

So what is their plan, in the busiest shipping lane in the World, when a supertanker loses power in a storm and ploughs through them knocking them down like skittles & spilling hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil through the punctured skin of the ship?

Seagull over Canaryland · Mar 27, 2013

Got 3 wind offshore farms here and its remarkable how often the things aren't operating especially during the recent cold weather (either because there was no wind, or too much wind so they were shut down) when you would imagine it is peak demand for electricity.

At least they are offshore whereas the 'onshore' turbines are more of a blot on the landscape.

The nimbys in these parts are fighting proposals for a huge solar PV farm on a derelict WWII airfield, which seems exactly the sort of location for them. They will be the same nimbys who will moan when they haven't got enough electricity.

somerset · Mar 27, 2013

Mustafa Kemal said:
This is a massive con at our expense - and also the expense of our seaside aesthetics and the oceanic wildlife. The cost of maintaining these things really does not make it a worthwhile or long term investment.

If we really had a future thinking government, they would be focusing their efforts on nuclear fusion - which is obviously the fuel of the future.

Nuclear is the only way forward, but sadly the same tree huggers that object to wind farms, tidal power and fossil fuel generation are often the same people/groups that object to nuclear power,....

wellquickwoody · Mar 27, 2013

Not in my backyard!

Right, protest over, let's get on and build them.

seagullsovergrimsby · Mar 27, 2013

somerset said:
Nuclear is the only way forward

Until there is a meltdown (Chernobyl) or earthquale/seaquake/tsunami (Fukushima)

somerset · Mar 27, 2013

Mustafa Kemal said:
The focus should be on fusion, a new technology, which works in a similar way except without the waste.

Groan.... but the fusion process currently consumes more energy than is produced and captured in controlled fusion environments... ree recently I read several articles that indicated that viable commercial production of energy from fusion processes are at least fifty years away, and most commonly estimate a realistic eighty years....... so in the meantime

PS:.. fusion isn't new technology, try 1930's....

Superphil · Mar 27, 2013

hybrid_x said:
heheh - the pr has got to you.

the ammount of fossil fuel it takes for maintenance teams three times a year - also they produce hardly any electricity....and its the big oil companies battling it out for this multi billion dollar industry.

wind farms are not the way - i spoke at length to one of the designers and he told me its all about pr, and they are inneficient.

funny how they are called free energy but the elec is sold for corporate profit.

One could suggest the 'other' PR has got to you, there are plenty who will confidently argue the benefits, suitability and success of wind power generation. I guess this is a no score draw.

vegster · Mar 27, 2013

Vegas Seagull said:
So what is their plan, in the busiest shipping lane in the World, when a supertanker loses power in a storm and ploughs through them knocking them down like skittles & spilling hundreds of thousands of gallons of oil through the punctured skin of the ship?

Er, the main shipping lanes are much further out than the wind farm, it will be well marked on nautical charts plus shipping has advanced radar as a fall back in case of wandering off course.

This is green power and can help rather than hinder the local marine life. At least it will provide some sanctuary from the pair trawlers who scrape the bottom clean of all marine life.Herring are a pelagic species which spawns in the shallows( 5 M ish) in autumn and as such would be unaffected by the presence of this wind farm. I'm pretty sure that all fish in the area will happily adapt to having some concrete pillars in the sea, they do it all the time in and around harbours. All in all, a good thing, the sooner the better.

seagullsovergrimsby · Mar 27, 2013

vegster said:
Er, the main shipping lanes are much further out than the wind farm, it will be well marked on nautical charts plus shipping has advanced radar as a fall back in case of wandering off course.

In a storm force 11 there will be quite a few vessels wandering off course.

Weststander · Mar 27, 2013

vegster said:
Er, the main shipping lanes are much further out than the wind farm, it will be well marked on nautical charts plus shipping has advanced radar as a fall back in case of wandering off course.

This is green power and can help rather than hinder the local marine life. At least it will provide some sanctuary from the pair trawlers who scrape the bottom clean of all marine life.Herring are a pelagic species which spawns in the shallows( 5 M ish) in autumn and as such would be unaffected by the presence of this wind farm. I'm pretty sure that all fish in the area will happily adadt to having some concrete pillars in the sea, they do it all the time in and around harbours. All in all, a good thing, the sooner the better.

This.

Sea lanes are no where near. Just another argument from nimbys or tabloid readers who don't believe that mankind has polluted or adversely affected the atmosphere in any way.

vegster · Mar 27, 2013

seagullsovergrimsby said:
In a storm force 11 there will be quite a few vessels wandering off course.

Very unlikely to happen. Too many fail safes are in place, only total loss of power/rudder control could cause a problem.

blue2 · Mar 27, 2013

Stuff the planning just get on and build it

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