offshore wind

off-shore wind farm

The future is looks brighter from Swansea bay, the Scarweather Sands offshore wind farm has made it over the last remaining hurdle in the Welsh Assembly and the project can go ahead without delay.

Assembly members blocked last minute Tory efforts to force another debate on the wind farm, and opponents of the clean energy project have run out of options to try to defeat the proposal.

Although opponents claimed the farm sitting three miles off the coast would be an eyesore, the wind farm will prove to be a boon to the local tourist industry. In a survey carried out last summer, 96% of visitors questioned said they were more likely or just as likely to return to the Swansea Bay resort of Porthcawl if the turbines go up.

Why is Scarweather Sands important?
The stakes in the energy debate are extremely high. UN scientists agree that, because of global warming caused by burning fossil fuels, we will experience more droughts, floods and storms from now on. For South Wales, climate change means more coastal flooding and wetter, stormier weather.

Despite the obvious need for new clean energy sources, some local opposition to the wind farm proposal triggered a public inquiry. With the inquiry set to start in November 2003, we took to the streets of Porthcawl to see what local people really thought...

Scarweather wind farm get the green light

Our nine-month campaign to promote the development of a large wind farm off the coast of Porthcawl, South Wales, paid off yesterday when the planning committee of the Welsh Assembly agreed to back the proposal.

Following a public inquiry, held last November, the committee has approved proposals for thirty 120 metre turbines, situated between 3.5 and 4.3 miles off the coast. On completion the turbines will meet 10% of the renewable energy target set by the Welsh Assembly.

North Hoyle offshore wind farm

Almost a third of Europe's total electricity demand could be powered by clean green offshore wind energy, by 2020. That's enough to supply electricity to every single one of the 150 million EU households.

A new report commissioned by Greenpeace, called Sea Wind Europe, also found that in the process:

A pioneering new wind farm will put South Wales at the forefront of the UK's clean energy future. Scarweather Sands off-shore wind farm will produce enough electricity to meet the needs of 80,000 homes - that's equivalent to a town the size of Swansea.

The developments at Scarweather Sands, off Rest Bay in Porthcawl provide an excellent example of the push towards renewable energy. It's an opportunity to highlight the advantages and dispel some of the myths surrounding the development of this new, clean alternative to fossil fuels.

Poll results reveal 3 times as many in favour of wind power

More than three times as many local residents support an offshore windfarm proposal in South Wales than oppose it, according to results of an independent poll carried out by ICM research.