U.K. Rejects Offshore Wind Farm Proposal

The U.K. Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) has rejected a proposal to construct a 970 MW offshore wind farm in Navitus Bay amid concerns regarding the project’s seascape, landscape and visual impacts. The proposed $8.3 billion farm would have powered about 700,000 southern London households and created about 1,700 jobs. The project was to be developed by Navitus Bay Development Limited (NBDL), a joint venture between French energy company EDF and Dutch firm Eneco. The Navitus Bay farm would have been constructed off the English coast, about ten kilometers south of Dorset and the Isle of Wight

According to DECC, the project was rejected because it would harm the views from England’s UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Jurassic Coast. Both areas are considered Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and have been designated for conservation due to their significant landscape value.

Said the DECC in a statement: “Careful consideration has been given to the application and the planning and energy issues involved. The wind farm development would not contribute to the quality of the area, but would cause significant harm to it.”

In a separate statement, Navitus Bay project director Stuart Grant said: “While we are clearly disappointed by today's decision, we would like to thank the communities of Dorset, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and all our stakeholders for the high level of engagement they've shown in the project, including their responses to our consultations and during the examination process.”

The turbine’s blades would have had a rotor diameter of 577 feet and would reach a maximum height of 656 feet. Current 5 MW turbines typically have rotor diameters of 500 feet.