Ofgem chooses Diamond Transmission Partners as preferred bidder for 353 offshore wind farm transmission link project

Ofgem has selected Diamond Transmission Partners as the preferred bidder to own and operate the high voltage transmission link to the Galloper offshore wind farm for the next 20 years.

Diamond Transmission Partners, a consortium comprising Mitsubishi Corporation and HICL Infrastructure Company Limited, was selected by through a tender process in which bidders compete to become Offshore Transmission Owners (OFTOs).

The project involves the development of a transmission link that connects to the Galloper offshore wind farm located 30 km off the east coast of England and is adjacent to the Greater Gabbard project. The onshore connection point is at Sizewell, near Leiston. The transmission system will include offshore substation platform(s), offshore and onshore AC export cables, and an onshore substation.

The wind farm has a water depth of 27-36 m and is comprised of 56 SWT-6.0-154 wind turbines, which generate enough power to supply up to 380,700 average UK homes.

The developer of the wind farm and the link is innogy SE. The windfarm is owned by a consortium comprising innogy SE, Siemens Financial Services, Sumitomo, ESB and a consortium managed by Green Investment Group and Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets. The consortium’s initial estimated value of the transmission assets is EUR329.1 million (US$372 million). Once the final value of the assets has been agreed by Ofgem, the preferred bidder will pay this amount to the developer, once the bidder’s OFTO licence has been granted to them by Ofgem.