PRESS RELEASE, June 12th 2009

Dudgeon Offshore Wind Limited (DOW), a subsidiary of Warwick Energy Limited, has today applied for offshore consents to construct and operate its proposed Dudgeon offshore wind farm. The turbines at the proposed Dudgeon site would be positioned a minimum of 32 km due north of Cromer off the coast of Norfolk.

Consents have been requested from both the DECC and from Defra. It is hoped that, subject to all consents being granted, the wind farm may commence generation by late 2013. The project could generate up to 560 MW and make a significant contribution towards the UK’s renewable energy targets.

Accompanying the consent application is a full Environmental Statement (ES) regarding the offshore elements of the proposed development. The ES draws on the results of the many environmental surveys and studies that DOW has commissioned. These conclude that the development will have a minimal impact on the local environment.

DOW will submit further planning requests later in 2009 to the relevant Local Planning Authorities for the onshore elements of this project together with its own ES. These documents will cover the onshore cable route and the building of a new onshore substation that will allow the output from the wind farm to be fed into the electricity grid.

The works covered by the applications submitted today include the wind turbines and their foundations at the offshore site, the cables linking the turbines to the offshore substations, the offshore substations themselves and the cables bringing the power ashore, including the onshore transition pits, where the offshore cables will be joined to the onshore cables.

In relation to these offshore works DOW held public exhibitions in both Cromer and Sheringham in February 2009. The main purposes of the exhibitions were to increase public awareness of the project, identify any particular concerns that the general public might have and to answer questions on a face-to-face basis. DOW has been very encouraged by the level of local support for the project to date and this was confirmed from the questionnaire returns at the exhibitions where 75.8% of people supported the project, 17% were undecided, 2.6% expressed no opinion and only 4.6% of people were against the proposals.

The total project is expected to cost in excess of £1bn, save up to 33 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions over its expected 40 year life and could provide more than 0.5% of the UK’s annual electricity needs. The project could create many temporary jobs during the construction phase and up to 30 full time jobs thereafter.

 

NOTES TO EDITORS:

• The project would include up to 168 wind turbines producing enough electricity on average to supply up to 400,000 homes with green electricity, approximately the same number of households that exist in the county of Norfolk. The total extent of the wind farm site is 35 km2.

 

• Copies of the ES will shortly be made available for viewing by members of the public at District and County Council offices and also at public libraries and tourist information centres in both Cromer and Sheringham. Copies of the full ES on CD may be obtained from the Company's registered office for a charge of £25. Copies of the Non Technical Summary are also available, free of charge, when requested from the Company's registered office or can be downloaded from the Warwick Energy website at www.warwickenergy.com

 

• The public exhibitions, conducted in February 2009, were attended by 248 people of whom 194 (78%) completed a questionnaire and responded, either at the exhibitions or afterwards by post, which provided feedback to the scheme. Analysis of the reasons given from the small number of people being against the project revealed that most were based on the potential navigational risks, visual impact of the wind turbines from the shore, possible impact on local eco-system and fishing operations and the potential impact on the local bird population. It is believed that the ES demonstrates that any such impacts as a consequence of the development will not be significant.

 

• An initial geotechnical survey has also been successfully completed in recent weeks. This will now allow the soil conditions to be characterised across the site and preliminary foundation designs to be progressed.

 

• Initial discussions with selected potential construction contractors are now commencing ahead of a formal negotiated tender process later in the year for the main components of the Dudgeon project.

 

• It is expected that electricity generation from offshore wind farms, such as this one at Dudgeon, will make a significant contribution towards the UK’s target of producing 20% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2020.

 

• Warwick Energy’s wind farm project at Dudgeon is one of 15 such projects that were awarded licenses by the Crown Estate as a national second Round of offshore wind projects.

 

• Warwick Energy Limited is a British developer of a range of energy projects and has previously been responsible for the development of the 90 MW Barrow offshore wind farm (in operation since 2006) and the 300 MW Thanet offshore wind farm (currently under construction).

 

Contacts:         Mark Petterson            Director, Warwick Energy      01789 471091
                       

Warwick Energy Limited, Wellesbourne House, Wellesbourne, Warwick, CV35 9JB