On August 23rd a few lucky Sustainable Energy Alliance (SEA) activists were invited by Npower Renewables to visit their offshore wind farm at North Hoyle. Though the weather was poor (fog and drizzle) nothing could dampen our spirits as we boarded the catamaran the "Fast Cat".

The wind farm is sited just 4.5 miles north of Rhyl and we soon found ourselves approaching the turbines out of the mist. It was amazing to see the blades turning slowly and they looked very serene and quite stunning and though we sailed directly beneath them they were very quiet - certainly not what the windy nimbys would have you believe ! We spent a hour or so sailing between the turbines and took many photos before heading back to the harbour. It was an amazing experience and one I know that we shall all long remember.

Offshore wind energy is expected to be a major contributor towards the Government's 2010 target for renewable generation, and is being taken increasingly seriously by the UK energy sector. The British Wind Energy Association predicts that offshore wind will contribute as much as 4% to the Government's 2010 targets for renewable energy.

The photo below shows that, in the grand scheme of seemingly endless oceans, offshore wind farms are not 'blots on the horizon', but from above rather look like a flock of seagulls. From the shore, they can be seen as elegant, beautiful symbols of a cleaner, less polluted future and are certainly not the eyesore that large dirty nuclear power stations are.

Jon Lincoln, SEA Co-ordinator