BTis aiming to generate a quarter of
its existing UK power requirements from wind farms by
2016.
The new BT wind farm scheme represents the UK's biggest
corporate wind-power project outside of the energy sector.
The project, costing up to £250m, will bring together
third-party funding and renewable energy partners to safeguard
future supplies of clean, green energy for BT, as part of the
company's ongoing strategy to reduce its
carbon emissions.
BT said it is one of Britain's biggest consumers of electricity,
with an annual requirement of around 0.7% of the UK's entire
consumption.
BT's wind farms could generate a total of 250Mwatts of
electricity - enough to meet the power needs of 122,000 homes or a
city the size of Coventry, said BT.
This would prevent the release of 500,000 tonnes of Co2 each
year compared with coal generation - equivalent to a quarter of a
million return air trips to New York.
BT is currently identifying high wind-yield sites on or adjacent
to BT-owned land for development with the aim of generating power
from 2012 onwards.
BT has applied for planning permission for test masts at
Goonhilly Satellite Earth
Station in Cornwall, Wideford Hill Radio Station in Orkney and
Scousburgh Radio Station in Shetland.
Subject to planning consent and suitable sites being secured,
BT's wind farms would have a total installed generating capacity of
around 100Mwatts by 2012, equivalent to around fifty wind turbines,
with the remaining 150Mwatts targeted by 2016.
Hanif Lalani, BT group finance director, said, "BT has already
achieved a 60% reduction in its carbon emissions, and is committed
to reducing them further to 80% by 2016. Our wind energy plans play
an important part in reaching that target."
John Hutton, business, enterprise and regulatory reform
minister, said, "BT's initiative is a great example of how
businesses can contribute and help us meet our ambitious target to
dramatically increase the amount of energy we get from renewable
sources. I hope that other organisations and individuals will be
inspired to match its commitment."