The management have put together a package of operational assets which deliver operational cash flow and form a sound base from which to expand both the asset portfolio and the business activity.
The current asset base of WEL includes offshore wind farms, small scale "embedded" generation capacity, gas licences, gas production and a gas storage project. WEL is also developing a number of sites for the generation of electricity from renewable fuels using direct combustion and advanced conversion technologies (ACTS).
WEL believe renewable generation is an important strategic area of development. WEL successfully created the Barrow offshore wind project and WEL took the 90MW project to the stage of having full consents in the space of just over 2 years. WEL realised the value of their development effort in September 2003 when they sold the project to a consortium of European utilities.
In December 2003, WEL was awarded 2 further UK offshore wind projects, both with expected capacities of 300MW and is also pursuing some small onshore wind projects. The Thanet project received its full suite of consents in December 2006, the first UK round 2 project to achieve this milestone. CRC bought the project in September 2007 but has retained WEL to manage the construction and operation of the scheme. The applications for consent for the Dudgeon project are expected to be submitted in late 2008.
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