Take a trip out from Brighton Marina to see the new Rampion wind farm, the construction project which will potentially be completed in 2018. These tours last 2-3 hours and will take you along Brighton seafront on returning from the farm. The trip out takes about 30 minutes.
The wind farm is located between 13 and 20 kilometres from the Sussex coast and is planned to occupy 72 square kilometres of land, equivalent to two fifths of the Isle of Wight. The name ‘Rampion’ was chosen after a competition which allowed local school children to make suggestions. ‘Rampion’, the chosen title, was submitted by Davison C of E High School, after the round-headed rampion (Phyteuma orbiculare), also known as the Pride of Sussex, the county flower of Sussex.
In 2015 wind power made up 11% of the electricity the UK produced , and 17% in December 2015. In 2016, the UK generated more electricity from wind power than from coal.
What the tour entails depends greatly on both weather conditions, and which phase of construction is taking place on the day. It will however, be possible to get close enough to understand the scale of the project. Onshore construction began in 2015, with the first turbine put into place in 2017. The project is expected to be completed in 2018 at a cost of £1.3 billion.
