Shell, one of three major investors in the proposed London Array Windfarm Project, has chosen to withdraw its commitment to the project. The wind farm is planned to be built in a region 12 miles from the Kent and Essex coasts in the outer Thames Estuary.

Carolines Lucas, Green MEP for the south-east of England has spoken out against Shell’s decision, describing the loss of one of the three investors in the project is a “huge setback” for the future of renewable energy in the UK. Key representatives from Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth have also expressed dismay at Shell’s decision. However Maria McCaffery, the chief executive of the British Wind Energy Association, anticipates that there will be significant interest from industry in replacing Shell’s share in the project.

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