E.on cancels 48MW English project

UK: German utility E.on has cancelled a 48MW project in England, days after compatriot RWE Innogy announced nine English developments were scrapped in 2015. Both companies blame permitting guidelines.

by David Weston 22 January 2016

E.on owns the 5.5MW Holmside project, also in County Durham

E.on said its 48MW Isles Wind Farm site in County Durham, north-east England was "no longer technically or economically viable".

The company blames changes to England's permitting laws, a high-level of bird activity at the site, investor uncertainty and a long-running objection from the Ministry of Defence over the affect of the turbines on the nearby Royal Air Force Leeming radar.

The site was located approximately 30-miles from the RAF base.

E.on's Isles project was its only onshore wind site in England, but it is developing 14 other onshore projects in Scotland.

The announcement comes in the same week RWE Innogy announced it had cancelled nine onshore projects in England because of the difficult permitting process and changes to government energy policy.