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James Debono
Malta is seeking Danish help to develop deepwater wind farms as the technology for the development of deep offshore wind farms is still being researched and developed, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister told MaltaToday.
In August the government issued a call for international interest for the development of deepwater wind farms in Maltese waters despite the fact that this type of technology is still at an experimental stage.
The government has excluded less expensive land-based and near-shore wind farms, due to their visual impact.
The Prime Minister’s spokesperson told MaltaToday the government is consulting with its EU counterparts, particularly Denmark, with a view to share knowledge and experience across Europe in the sector of offshore deepwater wind farms.
During his visit to Malta on 6 September, Prime Minister Rasmussen confirmed that Denmark would be delighted to cooperate with Malta on wind farm technology.
Danish industry produces 95 per cent of offshore wind farms installed globally but Danish wind farms are located in shallow waters less than ten metres deep.
The government is now hinging its hopes on EU-funded research taking place in deep waters near the Beatrice Alpha oil production platform in the Moray Firth off northeast Scotland, on five-megawatt turbines, which are approximately 85 metres high in water depths of about 45 metres. These wind farms will be sited on existing oil rig infrastructure.
This is a highly significant change from existing offshore developments, which are located in territorial waters close to shore in water depths of less than 10 metres.
Denmark is currently taking part, together with Sweden, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium in an integrated project concerning “distant offshore wind farms with no visual impact in deepwater”, with funding support from the EU’s 6th Framework Programme.
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
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