AIRTRICITYANDFLUORJOINTVENTURE（三）.docVIP

18th December 2003 AIRTRICITY AND FLUOR JOINT VENTURE TO BUILD 500MW WIND FARM IN THE OUTER THAMES ESTUARY Airtricity, one of Europe’s leading renewable energy companies, together with its joint venture partner Fluor, has been awarded a lease from The Crown Estate to build and operate a 500 megawatt offshore wind park at Greater Gabbard in the United Kingdom. The award of the lease to the Airtricity/Fluor joint venture is part of the second round competition for UK offshore wind farm developments by The Crown Estate. The sites available for offshore wind farm development are located in the three strategic areas announced by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in July 2003: the Thames Estuary, the Greater Wash and the North West (Liverpool Bay). On 18 December 2003 The Crown Estate announced the award of lease option agreements to 12 successful bidders for the development of offshore wind farms. The successful developers will be required to obtain all statutory planning consents from the government to allow construction to take place. Airtricity have a proven track record in wind farm projects, including the Arklow Bank project in the Irish Sea, the first phase of which is already constructed through a co-development agreement with GE. Fluor’s role, once all permitting and financing has been secured, would be to provide the engineering, procurement and construction for the project. The Airtricity/Fluor joint venture combines the resources of two industry leaders in their respective fields and has the financial strength to bring certainty of delivery to the project. The Greater Gabbard Project is located approx. 26 km from the Suffolk coast and comprises one site located in the outer Thames Estuary on two sand banks known as the Inner Gabbard and The Galloper. It is regarded as an ideal site for an offshore wind farm due to high wind speeds, low water depth, suitable ground conditions and minimal environmental sensitivities. Airtricity/Fluor wi