Galloper offshore wind farm receives development consent
Galloper offshore wind farm, a 50:50 joint venture between SSE and RWE npower renewables, has received development consent from the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change.
The Galloper site is located 27km off the Suffolk coast, adjacent to the fully operational Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm, and has a potential capacity of up to 504 megawatts.
Jim Smith, Managing Director, Renewables, at SSE said: "We very much welcome this decision which provides important reassurance about DECC's commitment to offshore wind.
"As well as having the potential to generate significant amounts of renewable energy, Galloper is a major infrastructure project that will bring investment and jobs into the UK.
"Greater Gabbard wind farm, which is effectively the sister project to Galloper, is already proving to be a significant operating asset which we are now confident will have a significant asset life. It has already consistently achieved load factors in excess of 45% and availability of around 90%.
"Despite the strength of the Galloper project, before making a final investment decision we will apply SSE's traditional rigour in assessing the financial viability and returns from the project. This will include looking for ways to further drive down the cost of offshore wind and ensuring that the correct long- term policy support mechanisms are in place and available."
