January 23 - One of the three parties in the consortium behind a GBP3 billion scheme to build the world's largest offshore wind farm in the Thames Estuary is reported to have questioned the viability of the project.

The London Array, a project to install 341 turbines in a 232 sq km site more than 18 km off the Kent and Essex coasts and able to power a quarter of London homes, is expected to provide significant business activity for heavy lift shipping and project cargo forwarders. This arises from the installation of the windmills, construction of on-shore sub-stations and associated undersea cabling to bring the electricity generated to the mainland.

Masdar, a £10 billion renewable energy fund controlled by Abu Dhabi which acquired Shell's 20 percent stake after the Anglo-Dutch oil giant pulled out of the project, is reported to have questioned the project's viability at a green conference in Abu Dhabi.

The project is currently at the tendering stage. The other consortium partners are E.ON and DONG Energy.