Vattenfall and ScottishPower Renewables, the developers of the East Anglia offshore windfarm zone, have appointed ERM as lead environmental consultant to assist in the development of the first project in the zone.

The 7.2GW development will be built in several phases with, the proposed first site, consisting of approximately 240 turbines. 

The London based ERM will provide Vattenfall and ScottishPower Renewables with three major pieces of work; a Zonal Environmental Assessment (ZEA) for the 6,000 km² area allocated for the first site; an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the zone, and specialist survey work in relation to ornithology, marine mammals, fish and benthic (sea bed) ecology.

The ZEA will consist of geotechnical/geophysical surveys as well as wind resource and metocean data reviews to identify engineering constraints and design for projects within the zone and an understanding of the environmental characteristics of the area.

The EIA will form part of the first planning application and cover all environment effects of the project which are collected, assessed and are taken into account in reaching a planning decision.

It is proposed that the first project will be located 42 kilometres offshore and will have the capacity to generate up to 1.2GW of clean, green energy.

David Walker, Development Director said: “Vattenfall and ScottishPower Renewables are delighted to appoint ERM to work with us on East Anglia.

“The ZEA and EIA have crucial parts to play in the development and we look forward to seeing the results of the studies.”
Simon Hewitt, ERM’s Project Director for this work, said “Round 3 presents huge challenges and we are extremely pleased to be able to capitalise on our Round 1 and Round 2 experience to help ScottishPower Renewables and Vattenfall to develop the Zone”.

Media Information: Paul Ferguson, 0141 566 4515 / 07702 665 924

Notes to Editors:

*Source: New Energy Finance

• Vattenfall is a leading European energy company. It is Europe’s fifth largest generator of electricity and largest producer of heat. It currently operates nearly 400MW of offshore wind capacity around Europe, including the 90MW Kentish Flats, off Whitstable in Kent. It also has 2,700MW of offshore wind capacity in the pipeline and includes under construction more than 400MW of offshore wind capacity around Europe including the 300MW Thanet Wind Farm, also off Kent and operational in 2010, and the 150MW Ormonde Wind Farm, off Barrow-in-Furness.
  www.vattenfall.co.uk www.vattenfall.com
   
• ScottishPower Renewables is part of Iberdrola Renovables, the largest wind energy company in the world with an installed capacity of close to 11,000 MW at the end of 2009, and a pipeline of over 57,400 MW. ScottishPower Renewables had over 800 MW of installed capacity at the end of 2009, and a pipeline of 5,115 MW.
   
• Iberdrola Renovables has a presence in 23 countries around the world.
   
• ScottishPower Renewables is currently developing offshore energy projects in the UK totalling more than 1,700 MW, including co-development of the 500MW West of Duddon Sands offshore wind project.
   
• The company is already the largest developer and generator of on-shore wind energy in the UK, with Europe’s largest wind farm at Whitelee which was completed in May 2009.
   
• www.scottishpowerrenewables.com
   
• East Anglia Offshore Wind Ltd is the joint-venture company, owned 50-50 between ScottishPower Renewables and Vattenfall AB, set up to bid for licenses in Round 3 and develop projects if successful. www.eastangliawind.co.uk
   
• ERM is a leading global provider of environmental, health and safety and social consulting services. ERM supports the global power industry in the key areas of site selection, planning advice, Environmental Impact Assessment, consultation, permitting, due diligence and risk and safety.