GERMAN WIND MOVES OFFSHORE

Germany's first offshore wind farm starts working
Vera Eckert (w/James Jukwey), August 12, 2009 (Reuters)

"Germany's first offshore wind power park, Alpha Venture in the North Sea, has begun the gradual commissioning of the first three of its total 12 turbines…[to be built by] DOTI -- a joint venture owned by utilities E.ON, Vattenfall Europe and EWE…

"The 250 million euro ($353.2 million) wind farm is also known as Borkum West as it lies 45 km north of the island of Borkum near the Dutch border…It is partly sponsored by the government and is the first of 30 projects planned for the seas around northern Germany."

Off the drawing board...(click to enlarge)

"Countries like Denmark and Britain already have advanced offshore wind industries but their turbines are not situated as far out at sea as Germany's planned projects.

"These hope to benefit from stronger winds further out while sparing wildlife near the coast, which involves building especially strong, 30-meter-deep, steel foundations…Six of the turbines are made by Areva and six by rival REpower…"

...and into the water and wind. (click to enlarge)

"Alpha Ventus…will be able to supply the equivalent of 50,000 households with power.

"Offshore wind power is one of the core elements of the German government's push to double its renewable power by 2020."