Business Weekly - Cambridge, UK

Greater Gabbard Offshore Winds Ltd (GGOWL), an Airtricity and Fluor joint venture, has submitted an application for development consent for construction of the wind farm, to be located around the Inner Gabbard and Galloper sandbanks.

The application was submitted to the DTI, DEFRA and Suffolk Coastal District Council.

GGOWL has undertaken extensive environmental and site investigation surveys and has secured a connection to the electricity grid at Sizewell in Suffolk and installed a wind monitoring mast.

The consent submission is accompanied by a detailed Environmental Statement.

It is the first offshore wind farm to seek consent outside UK territorial waters.

This has been enabled by the Energy Act 2004 under which a Renewable Energy Zone has been declared for the UK continental shelf, triggering the UK’s rights under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 to regulate renewable energy installations.

Airtricity has a proven track record in the development, construction and operation of wind farm projects.

Fluor’s role will be to manage the engineering, procurement and construction for the project.

Airtricity and Fluor will also maintain ownership of the wind farm during the operational phase.

• Suffolk Coastal District Council has given planning consent for the Parham Airfield Wind Farm.

The six turbine wind farm will provide the equivalent energy needs for over 4,000 local homes, over 8 per cent of homes within the council area.

The project will also save around 15,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases each year.