The developer of the Navitus Bay offshore wind farm yesterday announced that it will scale back the project’s size to reduce its visual impact.
In response to feedback received from the public and statutory consultees during the final round of consultation last year, the developer will remove the northernmost part of the development – the ‘top triangle’ – which will move the site up to 3.8km further away from the shore.
The development will now cover an area of 155 km², compared to 175 km² under the previous boundary. The maximum number of turbines that will be built, assuming the use of the 5MW model, will fall from 218 to 194. If the wind park is granted development consent, with the new boundary it will have a maximum installed capacity of 970MW, generating enough low carbon energy to power approximately 710,000 homes.
This latest change, when combined with the previous scaling back of the site in December 2012, will significantly reduce the visual impact of the development from all viewpoints along the coast in Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, whilst ensuring that the project continues to make an important contribution to sustainable energy generation in the UK and to the local economy in the shape of jobs and investment.
Mike Unsworth, Project Director at Navitus Bay, said: “We have always listened to and acted upon the feedback we receive from our public consultations and our statutory consultees.
“We hope that local residents and statutory consultees who have expressed concern about the wind park will welcome today’s announcement. The boundary change is significant, and balances the need to reduce visual impact while ensuring that the project continues to make an important contribution to sustainable energy generation in the UK and to the local economy in the shape of jobs and investment.
“As we move towards submitting our final application for planning permission, we believe that this latest boundary change is a positive step, ensuring that the project reflects local views whilst bringing considerable benefits to the region.
“We believe we now have an application that reflects in-depth local consultation and will, if granted planning permission, bring enormous benefits to the local region and to the UK as a whole.”
[mappress]
Press release, February 7, 2014; Image: Navitus Bay