Land’s End on an open – top bus at this time of year is quite a blustery ride but what potential for wind – power with plenty more stormy weather predicted.
Walking through the fishing port of Penzance offshore wind turbines seem a minefield of negotiation and conciliation. These fishing people voted for Brexit and even if many have changed their minds putting in place the infrastructure to power homes with sustainable energy is a masterclass in diplomacy.
But plans are in progress to develop five sites in the Celtic sea thirty miles north by north west off the coast at the tip of the country, around five miles north by north east off the Scilly Isles and more northern coastal areas such as Bude; five areas in total.
The projection is the production of four gigawatts of clean, sustainable energy to power nine million homes by 2035.
The Celtic Sea has been picked for the installation of a test site to be up and running by next year.
The areas have to be checked for compatibility with shipping lanes, fragile habitats and fishing areas to prevent inference.
New designs for turbines that can be floated in deeper water are in progress in places where the wind strength is higher. Currently the floating platforms stand in shallower parts but more research into how the platforms are moored to the seabed, improving undersea cabling and strengthening foundations is underway.
One Cornish firm Trivane Ltd at Pembroke dock is involved in designing the latest floating turbines with over £3M funding, expected to be matched by industry with an overall total of 60M.
Charnwood News 
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