20 May 2015
It was announced this week that the Rampion Offshore Wind Farm, to be built off the Sussex coast, has received a £1.3bn green light from E.ON and the UK Green Investment Bank
Peter Davies, Development Director at Shoreham Port commented “This is great news for business and the area generally. Shoreham Port stands to benefit from the wind farm as it’s built over the next three years. The Port has already benefited from the survey ships being based here since 2012 and we are now getting enquiries from construction firms bidding for contracts who need port facilities.
More importantly, E.ON have listened to our concerns that we had with their original proposal and have altered the layout of the wind farm to avoid the shipping lane into and out of Shoreham and also to avoid the anchorage for ships waiting to enter the Port.”
According to E.ON the construction of the wind farm will provide 350 to 450 jobs during the main building phase. The completed wind farm could provide enough electricity to power 300,000 homes.
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the Rt Hon Amber Rudd MP was reported as saying “This huge investment is a vote of confidence in the UK creating local jobs, bringing business opportunities and providing clean, home-grown energy.
The UK is the best place in the world to invest in offshore wind, thanks to the certainty the Government is able to provide to attract private finance in partnership with the Green Investment Bank.”
At the same time Shoreham Port is planning to install two Norvento nED100 wind turbines on the seaward side of the Outer Lay-by Terminal off Basin Road South to provide green energy to the pump house by the locks. The project has been given planning consent and is due to commence this summer. To find out more about Shoreham Port’s plans for renewable energy please visit www.shoreham-port.co.uk/Wind-Energy
