By Pete Danko | Earthtechling
The world’s largest offshore wind farm, the London Array, was officially opened on July 4 by British Prime Minister David Cameron along with Climate Change Minister Greg Barker.
The site is located on the Thames Estuary and can generate enough electricity to power nearly 500,000 homes.
Construction on the 175 turbine project which is owned by DONG Energy, Masdar and E.On began in March 2011. The site has been operational since last April and has 630 megawatts of capacity.
The project signals a welcome commitment to renewable energy expansion by the UK government, despite the recent failure of the Energy Bill. At present the UK has more than 3 gigawatts of offshore wind power capacity, but intends to install another 15 gigawatts by 2020.
Also: Is a Giant Wind Farm in New Mexico’s Future?