German North Sea offshore project cancelled

Winkra Energie of Germany cancelled its application to build an offshore wind station within the 12 mile limit off the coast of the state of Schleswig-Holstein in early November. "After discussions with the Schleswig-Hostein state government and the shipping authorities we decided to stop the project due to problems with shipping that would be encountered at the site. We see no problems with shipping at our project outside the 12 mile limit near Helgoland," Uwe Carstensen of Winkra Energie says. The ditched project was to have been built in an area in the North Sea to the north and east of the island of Helgoland. Winkra Energie had planned to install 200, 4-5 MW turbines in two phases of 100 turbines each. The likely connection point onshore would have been Brunsbüttel. The company continues to pursue offshore projects in the North Sea and Baltic Sea. At a location 30 kilometres north of the German island of Helgoland it plans to install about 180, 4-5 MW turbines. It is also developing a 1000 MW project in the Pommerainian bay in the Baltic Sea, about 50 kilometres north-east of Lubmin. The cancellation will not affect Winkra Energie's ten year horizon of wind installations. "We anticipate about 100 MW a year onshore over the next five years and after that about 50 MW a year onshore and 250 MW a year offshore," says Carstensen.