UK Is Now World's #1 Offshore Wind Power Producer

With the completion of a new 194 MW wind farm off the coast of Skegness, Lincolnshire the United Kingdom has overtaken Denmark to claim the offshore wind power capacity crown. The new installation brings the UK's total offshore wind capacity to 590 MW, which is approximately enough electric generating capacity for 300,000 homes. Denmark currently has 423 MW of offshore wind power capacity.

Offshore wind power in the UK is set to keep growing however:

The Guardian quotes a minister at the Department of Energy and Climate Change as saying that by the end of 2009, a further 938 MW of offshore wind power capacity will be added from projects already under construction. Further along in 2012, the London Array will add another 1000 MW of capacity.
Read the full story here.

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Comments

[Willow712]

I live in NW Iowa. along the northern border of Iowa, our local utility company has placed about 200 wind towers. they are a beautiful sight to see. I enjoy driving up into Minnesota just so I can see them. I hope we get more, and I hope wind and wave become our alternative energies for the future.

[bannorhill]

The US would have a similar power source if Senator Kennedy did not block the construction off the Massachusetts coast.

[Matt M]

This is great news. Here's hoping other nations will pick up the pace on this effort and get moving.

[blastit]

wow why can't we do stuff like this?

[mjt218]

Some oil companies tried retrofitting old oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico for this . . . . There are still some small companies trying to secure capital for it. Unfortunately, the Gulf is made up of unstable river sediment from the Mississippi. The instability and rocking created in structures mounted in this sediment by wave action isn't too kind on big wind turbines cantilevered a few hundred feet above the ocean floor.

I believe the North Sea and English Coasts have more granite bed rock closer to the surface, so that they don't have these complications to deal with.