North Wales offshore wind farm generates first power

Gwynt y Môr Offshore Wind Farm has generated and exported its first electricity says its developer.

RWE npower renewables, says the facility off the coast of north Wales is "on track to become the second largest operational offshore wind farm in the world."

The €2billion wind farm consists of 160 turbines and is on schedule to be fully operational by 2014. Project director, Toby Edmonds said: "Gwynt y Môr has celebrated a number of significant achievements within the industry throughout its construction to date, but this tops them all.

"This day signals the most significant step to date towards bringing online a highly capable renewable energy source, powered from the UK's own freely available natural resources and able to support approximately 400,000 homes.

"We're delighted to have reached this milestone and we are in great shape to achieve full operation in 2014."