A new Air Defence radar that is not adversely affected by wind farms has been installed and tested on the Norfolk coast, releasing the potential development of 3.3GW of renewable energy. Until recently, the MOD has objected to wind farms located near Air Defence radars due to the interference caused by the turbine blades.
In an award-winning follow on deal, the MOD has recently ordered two more of the wind farm-friendly radars, funded by developers, which will be installed in Northumberland and Yorkshire, unlocking a further 750 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy. This deal will promote further development of wind farms and help the Government reduce carbon emissions.
Minister for Defence Personnel, Welfare and Veterans Andrew Robathan said:
“The MOD was instrumental in convincing the energy companies to collaborate and jointly fund the cost of the radar, meeting operational requirements and ultimately enabling the generation of more renewable energy. This is good news for all parties to this arrangement”
Energy Minister, Charles Hendry said:
“We must rapidly increase the levels of home-grown clean energy produced in the UK. Windfarms and other forms of renewable energy will help boost our energy security, and ultimately our national security. I am pleased that an outcome has been reached that is beneficial to our national security, energy security and decarbonisation goals.”
On behalf of the MOD, SERCO has installed a Lockheed Martin TPS-77 Air Defence Radar near Cromer, on the Norfolk coast. The MOD has therefore removed planning objections to five further offshore wind farms in the Greater Wash. The new TPS-77 was delivered in a project between SERCO, Lockheed Martin, the MOD’s Defence Equipment and Support team (DES), and the Department of Energy and Climate Change, to produce a radar not affected by wind farm turbine blades.
The radar project was delivered on time, within cost and meeting stringent performance requirements and as a result, the DES project team was shortlisted as one of the top three of 750 projects in the Civil Service Awards 2011, and won an internal MOD award.
The two new wind farm-friendly radars in Northumberland and Yorkshire, replacing existing radar, provide the potential to remove objections to multiple future wind farms, estimated to be able to provide in total over 750 MW of renewable energy.
Notes to Editors:
• The estimated values for energy production of offshore windfarms at Norfolk are greater than those in Northumberland and Yorkshire as the Greater Wash will host at least five large or very large offshore farms.
• In 2010, DECC contributed £4 million towards development of TPS-77. DECC has made no other contribution to radar purchases. The Ministry of Defence has not contributed any costs. Other than the £4m contribution from DECC, the Government is not liable for any of the costs of the radar upgrades.
• Further information on radars and wind farms can be found on DECC’s renewable energy roadmap (published July 2011) http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/11/meeting-energy-demand/renewable-energy/2167-uk-renewable-energy-roadmap.pdf
For further information please contact Robert Mead at the MOD press office on 0207 218 3704 or Tim Lewis at the DES press office on 0117 913 0526.