Vattenfall Warns That Offshore Wind Industry Needs to Reduce Costs or Risk Dying Out (UK)

KENTISH Flats operator Vattenfall has warned that the offshore wind farm industry must reduce its costs or risk “dying out.”

Speaking at a wind energy event in London on Tuesday, Ole Bigum Nielsen, who heads the UK offshore operations, told the audience: “I think we all agree we have to lower the costs of what we are doing. If we do not succeed, it will be a dying industry.”

Vatenfall runs both the Kentish Flats off Herne Bay and Thanet offshore wind farms off Margate.

It wants to add up to 17 new turbines to the 30 already at the Herne Bay site.

Mr Nielsen warned that the productivity of current wind farms was the most questionable.

He said: “We need more energy out of each turbine.”

The company claims new 3 megawatt (MW) turbines would boost the Herne Bay output by up to 51 MW, enough for 20,000 homes.

Lionel Avignon, Vattenfall’s head of generation in the UK, said: “Kentish Flats is a pioneering project and demonstrates Vattenfall’s leadership in the field of offshore wind. It has provided us with strong experience and the platform to launch our European offshore wind strategy.

“We have resolved the initial technical issues which affected the wind farm and are proud of its performance in 2010.

“We are also proud of making a significant contribution to securing the energy supply for the UK through all our wind farms

“We are always working hard to improve our performance.”

[mappress]

Source: thisiskent, March 11, 2011