E.ON readies wind farm for English Channel

DUSSELDORF, Germany, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- Utility company E.ON announced plans to start laying the foundation for the Rampion wind farm project slated for the English Channel.

The Germany company, with help from Canadian energy company Enbridge and the British Green Investment Bank, said it scheduled construction for the foundation of the first of the 116 turbines salted for the Rampion project.

Rampion is the first facility of its kind in the region. Turbines for the facility will be erected in early 2017. Combined, the wind farm will generate 400 megawatts of electricity and reduce regional emissions of carbon dioxide, a potent greenhouse gas, by 600,000 tons per year.

The German energy company completed construction at its Amrumbank West wind farm in the German waters of the North and the Humber Gateway project for the British grid last year.

Germany is one of the world leaders in renewable energy, a trend emphasized after its decision to move away from nuclear power in the wake of the nuclear tragedy in Japan in 2011. The United Kingdom is close behind and, combined, the European Union has more than 100 gigawatts of wind power online.

E.ON said the latest facility was six years in the making, with preliminary construction projects steered from onshore development sites.