Coast of East Anglia in UK ideal for wind turbines says report

Wind turbines off the coast of East Anglia in eastern England could provide 25% of the UK's electricity, says a report by AEA Technology. It finds that low tidal ranges, many areas of shallow water, high wind speeds and good seabed conditions make the area ideally suited for wind development on an industrial scale.

AEA says that 40 wind farms could be built between the Thames and Humber estuaries. This could mean 15,000 turbines covering 2000 square kilometres, giving a total capacity of 30,000 MW -- equivalent to 30 conventional power stations. Last month Greenpeace was touring the region to promote the plan, calling at 16 towns. The plan is also backed by power company TXU whose UK base is located in East Anglia.

The report states, however, that government action is needed before the region can see that level of offshore wind development. It needs to set a high national renewables target for 2020 to create a driver for business planning and investment, take decisions now on reinforcing the national grid to accommodate offshore wind, and provide incentives for the private sector to invest in large scale offshore wind, says the report.