We are considering whether to establish an offshore wind farm in Sheringham in the UK.
Increased production of renewable energy is an essential part of the British government's strategy to address climate change. The ambitions are high. Fifteen per cent of the UK's total electricity consumption is to be covered by renewable energy by 2015, increasing to 20 per cent by 2020.
Scira Offshore Energy is a joint partnership between StatoilHydro and the Dutch project developer Econcern (Evlop). Scira Offshore Energy was established to develop a business prospect for building and operating a wind farm off the coast of Sheringham in the UK.
We are responsible for the overall project development, including all commercial activities and stakeholder management. If developed, the wind farm, which is planned to consist of 88 windmills, will have a total capacity of 315 MW. This will contribute an estimated annual production of 1.1 TWh of renewable energy to the UK market.
Extensive Environmental Impact Assessments have been carried out both offshore and onshore as part of the project development. All aspects of marine life, from breeding places for birds to fishing activities and visual impact, have been taken into account when developing the wind farm.
Onshore, the best route possible has been identified to connect the windmills to Richborough substation, 22 kilometres from the coast. An investment decision is expected in 2008.
