Wind farm foundations constructed

Construction work on an £800m wind farm is under way off the east Kent coast, with the first foundation piles now visible above the water.

The 100-turbine Thanet Offshore Wind Farm will eventually provide electricity to power 240,000 homes.

It will create about 200 local jobs, developers Vattenfall said.

The project site, seven miles off the coast of Ramsgate, is close to two other offshore wind farm schemes, London Array and the Kentish Flats.

A spokeswoman for Vattenfall, which constructed the Kentish Flats Wind Farm off the north Kent coasts, said it had already achieved a successful track record.

WIND FARMS OFF THANET

• London Array Wind Farm
  90sq miles (232sq km)
• Thanet Offshore Wind Farm
  13.5sq miles (35sq km)
• Kentish Flats Wind Farm
  3.86sq miles (10sq km)

The Kentish Flats Wind Farm had become a tourist attraction with two boat operators now running regular visits to the site, she added.

The company said the scheme brought a range of benefits to Kent.

A proportion of the investment was being spent on local services, local contractors were being used for building work, jobs were being created, and the wind farm could eventually bring a tourism boost.

The Thanet project will cover 13.5sq miles (35sq km) off the north Kent coast.

The larger London Array project covers 90sq miles (232 sq km) between Margate in Kent and Clacton, Essex.

The Kentish Flats scheme, which is already in operation, covers 3.86sq miles (10 sq km).

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