Tuesday 9 August 2016

DONG withdraws from planned energy park

DONG Energy has withdrawn from a planned marine energy park in the UK.

The wind giant was expected to use the park on the Humber estuary as a port facility for its offshore wind operations but said it no longer believed the scheme was cost effective.

DONG Energy were meant to be the "anchor investor", meaning their presence would attract a number of other companies.

Able, the main developer, said it remained committed to the project, which is still scheduled to become operational in 2018.

The decision to withdraw follows a review of East Coast Staging and Construction Facilities for the Offshore Wind Industry Council, DONG said.

A spokesman for DONG said: "The review has concluded that current ports can support demand from the anticipated offshore wind project pipeline and it would be difficult to justify the scale of investment required to promote a single large-scale staging and manufacturing facility."

Dong said it remained committed to the Humber region and still expects to invest £6 billion in the area by 2019.

The Danish firm, which is one of the UK's largest offshore wind operators, confirmed in February it would fund construction of the large offshore wind farm, Hornsea Project One.