Giant offshore wind farm to light up North Wales

Plans for a 250 turbine offshore wind farm off the coast of North Wales that will be provide clean electricity to power the equivalent of 680,000 homes have been given the go ahead by the UK government.

The 750MW Gwynt y Mor development by Npower Renewables will lie eight miles off the coast between Llandudno and the Wirral. It will combine with three other nearby wind farms off the North Wales coast – North Holyle (30 turbines), Burbo (25 turbines) and Rhyl Flats (25 turbines).

No word on when construction will begin and when it will be operational but a spokesperson for the British Wind Energy Association said:

“This is fantastic news. Gwynt y Mor is a landmark project both for Wales and the United Kingdom as a whole. It brings the total offshore projects with planning approval to 4.5 GW, solidifying UK’s position as leader in offshore wind energy. It will also set us well on our way towards reaching our 2020 renewable energy targets.”

A map of the four wind farms can be found here.

Photo courtesy of Npower Renewables