It seems the world has truly embraced wind power, and nowhere more so than Europe – specifically the United Kingdom. Today, the UK opens the Thanet Wind Farm, the largest offshore wind farm in the world with 100 turbines spread over 35 kilometres in the North Sea, 7.5miles off the coast of Foreness Point, Margate. The wind farm will be capable, if winds are high enough, of generating up to 300 megawatts of electricity – enough to power over 200,000 homes or a small city.
The activation of the Thanet wind farm means that the UK is the biggest offshore wind generator in the world, producing more electricity from sea-based turbines than the rest of the globe put together. According to the UK wind industry, the country’s wind farms now have a capacity of 5 gigawatts (GW) or enough power for nearly three million homes.
All EU countries are busy meeting targets of being able to generate 20% of their energy from renewable sources by 2020, and with its large coastline and windy seas, the UK is naturally building more wind farms. The government’s ‘dash for wind’ is expected to see the construction of 10,000 new turbines going up at sea and across the country over the next decade.
Read more at inhabitat.com
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