BT Plans Wind Farms That Could Generate 250MW Of Electricity

BT to plans to develop wind farms aimed at generating up to 25 percent of its existing UK electricity requirements by 2016. The plan represents the UK’s biggest corporate wind power project outside of the energy sector.

The project, costing up to $500 million, will bring together third party funding and renewable energy partners to safeguard future supplies for BT as part of the company’s strategy to reduce carbon emissions.

BT is one of Britain’s biggest consumers of electricity, with an annual requirement of around 0.7 per cent of the UK’s entire consumption. BT’s wind farms could generate a total of 250MW of electricity -? enough to meet the power needs of 122,000 homes. This would prevent the release of 500,000 tonnes of CO2 each year compared with coal generation -? equivalent to a quarter of a million return air trips to New York.

BT is currently identifying high wind sites on or adjacent to BT-owned land for development with the aim of generating power from 2012 onwards. It was confirmed today that BT has applied for planning permission for test masts at some locations.

Subject to planning consent and suitable sites being secured, BT’s wind farms would have a total installed generating capacity of around 100MW by 2012, equivalent to around fifty wind turbines, with the remaining 150MW targeted by 2016.