From: J Corbally (icorb@indigo.ie)
Date: Fri Jan 11 2002 - 17:02:15 MST
>The Irish Government has approved plans for the world's largest offshore
>electricity-generating wind farm, to be built on a sandbank in the Irish
>Sea south of Dublin.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1755000/1755413.stm
>When completed, the 200 turbines will produce 10% of the country's
>electricity needs.
>A report published this week said that wind-generated electricity
>production jumped by 31% last year, making it the most rapidly growing
>branch of the power industry.
I'm kind of shocked to see this happening. It's the sort of thing that
gets talked about but never done. Kind of like recycling programmes.
>One megawatt of wind-generating capacity typically will satisfy the
>electricity needs of 350 households in an industrial society, or roughly
>1,000 people.
>The plant's capacity will ultimately reach 520 megawatts.
>The state will receive up to 1.9 million euros ($1.7m) a year from
>Eirtricity in rentals and royalties.
It's only pocket change of course, but this project might just put a fire
under some of the other EU nations who would also have suitable
conditions. After all, can't have the Irish owning the largest offshore
wind facility in the world, now can we? :)
>Mr Fahey said there had been wide public consultation on the plan and no
>objections. Eight submissions had been received, all of them in favour.
This is very impressive. If you go to any local meeting, residents
association, public consultations, chances are very, very good that someone
will be objecting to whatever development is being proposed. It's almost a
tradition......
If it were possible, I'd like to see another two of the south coast. Now
that'd be a serious amount of energy generation.
James...
"If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home and
crawl under your bed. It's not safe out here. It's wondrous, with treasures
to satiate desires both subtle and gross. But it's not for the timid."
-Q, Star Trek:TNG episode 'Q Who'
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