Since 2007 there have been plans by Farm Energy in Britain to build the world’s largest offshore wind farm, to be known as the Atlantic Array. The wind farm would consist of 350 wind turbines capable of generating a maximum capacity 1,500MW of electricity and would be sited off the coast of Devon. Total coast of the project has been given an early indicative figure of £3bn, although with the cost of commodities on the rise this could be closer to £4bn.

A wind farm this large would be capable of supplying enough electricity to power up to 1 million homes which would avoid the emission of more than 2.3 million tons of carbon dioxide per year.

Some of the issues that could be standing in the way of the Atlantic Array project becoming a reality includes environmental sensitivity at the shore end of the cable route, a concern over the effects on local bird wildlife and the question of the effect on the port infrastructure.

It is expected that if and when approval for the project to go ahead is received the construction and development to full commission will take up to 6 years. The latest figures found (Oct 2007) was a proposed start date of 2013 and the completion in 2018.

The popular comparison of the size of the wind farm when it is completed is that it will cover an area equivalent in size to that of the Isle of Wight. Around 2,000 people will be involved in its construction with a permanent workforce of around 150 people need to maintain the wind farm once it is in operation.

Farm Energy is already involved in the construction of the 1,000MW offshore wind farm in the Thames Estuary known as the London Array Project.