German developer begins environmental assessment for Baltic offshore project

German wind development consortium GHF/Ventotec has begun an environmental impact analysis for a planned offshore wind station in the Baltic Sea. Site data is being analysed by scientists on board a chartered ship, the results of which will be evaluated by the Institute for Applied Ecology in Rostock. GHF, an independent trading and finance company, declines to release details on the location of the wind station or where the electricity is to be brought ashore. Federal shipping office Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH) has published details of planned offshore wind stations which include two unnamed developers for the Baltic Sea, one of which is presumably the GHF undertaking. The two projects involve pilot phases of 25 and 50 turbines, with maximum potential capacity of 415 MW and 615 MW respectively. GHF's Helmer Stecker says the offshore site analysis is "the pilot project for several offshore wind stations in the Baltic and North Sea that we are investigating in a consortium with blue chip companies." Marketing colleague Patra Zahnen stresses that "as a small company we cannot undertake large offshore projects alone. Strong financial partners are needed." Ventotec is the wind development arm of GHF.