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Wind farms off North Wales coast. |
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Blair backs windfarm off North Wales coast |
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The North Hoyle Offshore Windfarm, about five miles off the North Wales coast, between Prestatyn and Rhyl, is to be officially "switched on" at events staged jointly in North Wales and London by energy suppliers Npower and environmental group Greenpeace. The event, which is a key step in the battle towards cutting the UK's greenhouse gas emissions, will be attended in London by Energy Minister Stephen Timms. Tony Blair will make an address to be broadcast at both events, praising the alliance between Npower and Greenpeace. Mr Blair will tell those gathered for the switch on, "Rolling out this first large- scale offshore wind venture is a highly significant step toward achieving Britain's renewables goal. "We are on our way to a future that can be transformed by the use of clean forms of energy. I look forward to celebrating further successes with you along the way." Spokesman for Friends of the Earth Cymru, Neil Crumpton, described off-shore wind as a "superb" and "potentially very significant technology". "Off-shore wind can supply a large part of our energy needs. There are virtually no carbon dioxide and green house gas emissions, which are the main cause of global warming. "Also there are no acid gas emissions which have done so much to damage the fragile ecology of Mid Wales and it's our own energy so we are not reliant on anybody else." But Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Cymru's conservation officer, Mike Webb, warned that the populations of red-throated diver and common scoter in the area would have to be carefully monitored to ensure they do not decline following the switch-on. "In the vicinity of Liverpool Bay these are two bird species with internationally important numbers," he said. "The population there is an internationally important site - there is a large percentage of the world or international population, which in the case of the Common Scoter, would be wintering there. "That's why the monitoring is so important and will continue to be so."........more information >> Return to Wales News Homepage
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