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RWE cancels Atlantic Array wind farm

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1200MW capacity project in Bristol Channel cancelled due to technical and financial reasons



Developers of one of the world's largest offshore wind farms off the coast of North Devon have axed the project because of technical issues.

German energy firm RWE said it was cancelling the development of the 1200MW capacity wind farm “in light of significant technical challenges, including substantially deeper waters and adverse seabed conditions” that were increasing costs and making it “prohibitive in current market conditions” to develop the site.

RWE planned to install 240 turbines as part of the £3bn project 10 miles off the coast of North Devon, creating thousands of jobs. However, the development has been dogged by criticism from environmentalists, who were worried about its impact on marine wildlife in the Bristol Channel and campaigns who have branded the project for 720-ft high turbines as unsightly. The project was scaled back from 417 turbines last year.

Paul Cowling, director of offshore wind at RWE Innogy, said: "This is not a decision we have taken lightly, however, given the technological challenges and market conditions, now is not the right time for RWE to continue to progress with this project."

The Crown Estate owns the areas off the coast of the UK where wind farms are being developed and runs auctions for development rights to those sites in “rounds”, which progressively get further away from the shore and larger. RWE's decision to cancel the Bristol Channel project is the first time a Round Three project has been abandoned by the developer.

Huub den Rooijen, head of Offshore Wind for the Crown Estate, said: “Now that the industry has been developing projects for a number of years, there is a much deeper understanding of the characteristics of successful projects and we will see further attrition in the time to come.

"Paradoxically, this is a positive development because it provides greater clarity to key stakeholders such as supply chain and consenting bodies, and brings greater focus to the investment opportunities.”

RWE said more viable technologies may be developed and demonstrated within the next decade in the offshore wind industry which may make developing the Bristol Channel area viable.

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