UK Offshore Wind Farm Gets Okay for Growth

Existing wind farm has 367 MW capacity; extension is for a further 750 MW capacity.

The British government has given consent for an offshore wind farm off Cumbria in the Irish Sea to be extended, Britain's Planning Inspectorate said on Friday, tripling its total electricity generation capacity.

The extension of the Walney wind farm developed by DONG Energy and SSE will be to the west and northwest and will add up to 750 megawatts (MW) of generating capacity to the 367 MW currently.

"This is a significant application for the offshore wind energy sector. It could add 207 offshore wind turbines to the existing 102 turbines of Walney 1 and 2 to generate enough to provide electricity to over half a million homes," Planning Inspectorate chief Simon Ridley said in a statement.

The Planning Inspectorate reviews national infrastructure development applications but Britain's energy secretary has the final say on whether consent should be granted.

Reporting by Nina Chestney