Environment

Greenpeace's grid plan: North Sea grid could bring wind power to 70m homes

by PlanMyGreen | September 4, 2008 at 07:26 pm

697 views | 18 Recommendations | 6 comments

A realistic plan to provide 1/3 of Europe's energy needs from renewable sources could be just the thing needed to jumpstart renewable energy advances to take advantage of alternative energy trading between European countries. Though most of the routes are only in discussion stages, planning and construction has already began on certain portions of the proposed power grid spanning the North Sea. The source shows the proposed map in all its glory detailing the inter-connecting routes between Norway, Scotland, England, Denmark, Germany, France, and other coastal countries.

The EU is studying plans for a transnational power grid in the North Sea that could provide electricity from renewable sources for 70m homes. It could cost up to €20bn (£16bn) to install.

The proposed 3,850 mile offshore grid would connect more than 100 wind farms, containing 10,000 turbines, to seven North Sea countries - Britain, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Norway.

Senior EC energy officials yesterday gave a warm but guarded welcome to the plans, which were submitted by eco-campaigners Greenpeace and drawn up by environment consultants 3E, calling them "ambitious but realistic".

The EU is committed to cutting greenhouse gases by 20%, producing 20% of primary energy from renewables and reducing energy consumption by 20% - the so-called 20/20/20 package - by 2020.

The plans, on the agenda again in November, have run into serious difficulties among governments and MEPs.

A senior EC official said the package meant a third of Europe's electricity would come from renewables by 2020, with a third of that from wind power - and a third of the wind power from offshore.

The report, based on identified projects, assumes that 68.4 gigawatts of capacity at 118 wind farms will have been established in the North Sea by 2020-30 and could provide 13% of the annual electricity consumption of the seven countries.

0 See all footage | View Slideshow

Share: email story | add to any | | facebook | stumbleupon

recommend Sign In or Join to post comments

bill hicks

at 20:51 on September 4th, 2008

What about the ocean birds? Don't they care?

PlanMyGreen

at 21:25 on September 4th, 2008

I sense some sarcasm.

If we want to argue the fact that birds DO get killed by windmills, lets first look at the enormous amount of birds that die each year from radio towers, skyscapers, vehicles, clean windows, power lines, pollution, oil spills, filthy water, and that annoying cat next door that leaves its muddy paw prints on my car windshield every week. Or we could just start with the fact that there won't be any ocean birds around if we keep polluting our air and dumping sludge into oceans and rivers.

SOLARLIFE

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 01:09 on September 5th, 2008

PlanMyGreen, I like this story. It's good stuff. The combined energy grid renawables form wind solar geothermal can switch from one source to anaother. Thsi plan UK from Greenpeace is a good starter for the extende grid with cheap solar electricity from Sahara. After the nuclear dissaster this Year Ticastin France, Gordon Brown and Sarkozy signed a pre-agreement for Sahara solar, what a chnage. Thanks PlanMyGreen tracking the impotant energy questions that get us out of petrol war. Not many understanding, but you do good quality writing. After elections will be more interest for this stuff.