Centrica plc today submitted a planning application for one of the UK’s next generation of offshore wind farms in the Greater Wash, which could further underpin British Gas' position as the UK’s largest supplier of green energy to domestic customers.
British Gas parent company Centrica, which has the lowest CO2 emissions of any major energy supplier and plans to invest over £750 million in renewable energy assets over the coming years, submitted the application for the 250MW Lincs project to the Department for Trade and Industry. The application follows a full environmental impact assessment for the wind farm site, 5 miles off the Lincolnshire coast.
Lincs could start construction in 2009, subject to further commercial studies. It would be capable of supplying clean electricity to around 140,000 British Gas customers and saving 565,000 tonnes of CO2 in a year, reinforcing the company’s commitment to low carbon generation.
Lincs is located adjacent to the company's Lynn and Inner Dowsing projects in the Greater Wash, which are expected to start construction during 2007 once key contracts are finalised. Power from the offshore wind farm would come ashore in North Norfolk via buried undersea power cables. Public opinion research carried out in Lincolnshire showed nearly 85 per cent in support of the Lincs development.
Jake Ulrich, Managing Director of Centrica Energy, said: "As one of the largest investors in offshore wind, this is another milestone on the journey to secure the UK’s future energy needs and underlines the significant investment we’re making in low carbon generation for our British Gas customers."