NOWAP at a Glance

NOWAP supports Green Energy

We believe that alternative forms of clean, sustainable and renewable energy are important for the future.

But windpower is a randomly intermittent supplementary generator that produces fluctuating streams of very expensive electricity.

There are far more effective ways for generating “firm”, reliable, renewable power, such as biomass and tidal.

“Firm” renewables can be economically integrated into a stable grid, and produce cost-effective emissions reduction.

NOWAP supports offshore windpower

Windpower does have a role, up to roughly 10,000 MW, all of it offshore.

We offer our cautious support to the proposed 140 turbine Greater Gabbard offshore station 20 miles out to sea from the Suffolk coast.

This station’s 500 MW will produce much more electricity more reliably than onshore turbines, and with less environmental damage.

Careful and stepwise experimentation with offshore stations will quickly reach the limit for the UK grid. There is already 5,000 MW under proposal offshore under the Round 2 lease scheme, and if this proves successful it is clear that more could be built.

Wind’s future is out to sea. Denmark has now almost ceased building wind onshore, and is looking only to marine locations for future turbines.

NOWAP is against onshore wind turbines
Onshore stations generate small quantities of costly and unreliable power.

They do not provide any local benefit or jobs

They are out of scale with the landscape and local buildings

When working, they are noisy, and have other disruptive effects

The carbon dioxide saving produced is extremely small and very expensive

They do kill birds and bats

NOWAP is NOT pro-nuclear or fossil fuel

Sizewell A will be decommissioned soon. According to Saxon Windpower’s own, probably optimistic, estimates of electricity generation, 177 Parhams, or 1,062 ONSHORE turbines would be needed to replace it, but only 280 turbines OFFSHORE. That’s just two Greater Gabbard stations.

Wind power has a role, but this role will be almost entirely offshore, where the wind streams are stronger and more constant.

NOWAP believes that the Renewables Obligation is a failing subsidy system.

70% of the income from a renewable generator is from subsidy.

The parliamentary watchdog the National Audit Office has state that onshore wind is oversubsidized by at least 33%.

With easy money on offer developers are appearing in even very unsuitable locations, such as Parham.

The result is that investors are looking only to wind, and are not investing in “firm” renewables such as biomass and tidal generation, which have much more potential but require engineering skills and serious investment.

NOWAP members are part of a growing public questioning of onshore wind

There is now growing international concern that onshore wind is difficult to integrate into a stable grid in an economic way, and does not produce sizeable or cost-effective emissions savings.

Far from being an ecological saviour, onshore wind can make only a very small and very expensive contribution which is far outweighed by the ecological damage it causes.