With Essex a long way from meeting its renewable energy targets, Clacton-On-Sea is the latest area to be identified by one of the leading wind energy companies keen to help secure the areas future energy supply, whilst helping to tackle climate change.
npower renewables, the UK's most experienced renewable energy developer, is looking at a site at Earls Hall Farm for a 5 turbine scheme which, if built, could provide enough electricity for the average annual needs of between 5,500 and 6,000 homes1.
The proposal is at an early stage as investigations take place into the suitability of the site and no application for planning permission has been submitted.
Project Manager Vicky Portwain said, "Although a relatively small wind farm, this scheme can make a valuable contribution towards the ongoing battle against climate change due to its windy location and the efficiency of modern wind turbines. The 5 turbines would offset the release of between 22000 and 26900 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide2, to put that into perspective that's the equivalent of removing between 7160 and 8762 cars off the roads of Essex3."
She added, "This is one of the few potential sites in Essex suitable for a wind farm scheme of this scale which would contribute significantly towards both local, regional and national targets and objectives for renewable energy4 and reduction in CO2."
The proposed development has been welcomed by Paula Whitney of Essex Friends of the Earth who said, "Essex is particularly susceptible to flooding and other severe weather effects because of climate change. A report from Oxford University blows away the myth that wind is intermittent; it shows Britain has wind power which is available all year round and when electricity is needed most. The Eastern Region has set a target of 10% renewable energy within 4 years and these five wind turbines would provide enough electricity to meet the average needs of the whole of St Osyth and Brightlingsea."
For further information contact:
- Michael Pullan, PR officer, npower renewables
T: 0118 959 2440
Notes:
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This figure was calculated using the following:
An average home utilises 4700 kWh per year (Ref: The Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2005 gives 2004 domestic electricity consumption as 117.589 terawatt-hours (TWh) which,
when taken with the 25.2 million households,
Wales = 1.213 million, England = 21.109 million, Scotland = 2.217 million, Northern Ireland = 652,000 gives an average electricity usage of 4,666kWh per year per household).
The energy predicted to be generated by the proposal is derived from monitoring wind speeds in the area and correlating this data to wind speeds measured at Met. Office stations. This enables a calculation to be made to estimate the average annual energy production for the site based on 5 turbines each of rated capacity of between 2 and 2.3MW.
The energy capture and equivalent homes figure relating to this project may change as more information is gathered.
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National Grid Transco's Seven Year Statement 2004 supported the theory that an appropriate carbon dioxide emissions factor for electricity generated by wind power is in the region of 860g CO2 / kWh. In estimating the potential offset of harmful emissions it is recognised that over the life of the Earls Hall Wind Farm these values may change due to, for example, variation in the generating plant mix over the 25 year life of the wind farm.
- This is based on a 1.4 litre Ford Focus travelling 12,000 miles p/a, 159g CO2/km emissions data taken from Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA)
- The Government is working towards a target of generating 10% of the UK's electricity from renewable sources by 2010, 15% by 2015 and has an aspiration to achieve 20% by 2020. It is keen to look at all renewable energy sources including on and offshore wind energy.
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