An application has been submitted to the Secretary of State for Trade & Industry by Devon Wind Power for permission to develop a 22 turbine wind farm at Fullabrook Down , a site between Barnstaple and Ilfracombe.  Each turbine will have a rated capacity of 3 megawatts giving an installed capacity of 66 megawatts. This will make a huge contribution towards delivering Devon's overall target of between 207 and 545 megawatts of power from renewables by 2010, of which at least 103 megawatts is to come from on-shore wind, and sufficient energy to supply up to 37,000 homes. 

Each turbine will be 65m high from ground to hub  plus 45m blades giving a total height of 110m.  When the wind farm is fully operational it will help to achieve the government's aim of reducing harmful emissions as 150,000 tonnes less of carbon dioxide will be produced and will help to lower the emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide and other pollutants.

The turbines will be connected to the National Grid at the existing sub-station north of Barnstaple via underground lines.

Extensive public and community consultation on the Fullabrook Wind Farm proposal was undertaken by Devon Wind Power in June 2004.  The outcome of this process is fully described in the Strategy for Community Involvement.  Read Here  

As part of its commitment to combat global warming and the rising sea levels that threaten areas like the North Devon coastline, and to address the dwindling national production of oil, gas and coal, the government last year published a new National Energy Strategy .   This set a target of 10% of the country's energy requirements  being met from renewable sources by 2010, rising to 15% in 2015.  Currently 3% of our energy comes from renewable sources.

Revision 2010 , a report commissioned by the Government Office for the South West, recommends that in Devon onshore wind power should provide at least 103 megawatts of installed electricity capacity by 2010.

This proposal, if approved, would go a long way towards meeting that target.

Although there are a number of alternative renewable energy sources under development, none are immediately available to meet existing government targets, as can be seen from the table summarising the other main options. 

Renewable Energy Source	Reasons for Non-availability
Wave/tidal power	Still at development stage.
Barrage (eg Severn or Torridge)	Huge cost.  Long lead time.
Solar	Insufficient sunshine in UK to avoid need for other renewable sources.
Photovoltaic	Still at the development stage.
Biomass	Unlikely sufficient schemes will be consented and constructed to contribute to targets
Offshore wind power	High cost. Need for shallow water
Nuclear	Huge cost. Enduring concerns over environmental and long term risks.

The Fullabrook site can accommodate a wind farm which will make a significant contribution towards Devon's renewable energy requirement with the minimum environmental impact.  If the plans are approved, the Fullabrook site will, on its own, provide a significant proportion of Devon's target for renewable energy by 2010.   Fullabrook has some of the most consistently high wind speeds in Devon and is within the Devon Structure Plans area of search for strategic wind based energy production.  This excludes areas covered by landscape protection policies and major constraints such as protected landscapes, radar signals and microwave link interference, protected habitats and proximity to a large concentration of houses. 

The Fullabrook site has emerged as one of the best sites in Devon capable of accommodating a major wind farm with the least environmental cost.