Regulatory body approves 3.4 GW wind farm extensions in the UK

The Crown Estate, a statutory corporation that owns public land and assets in the United Kingdom belonging to the British monarch, has announced that it has completed its initial assessment of offshore wind extension applications and confirmed that eight proposed projects, representing up to 3.4 GW of potential new capacity, have satisfied the application criteria.

The eight projects, located in the waters around England and Wales, will now be subject to a plan level Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA) which will assess any possible impact of the proposed extensions on relevant nature conservation sites of European importance. The plan level HRA, which represents the next phase of the assessment process, will be undertaken by The Crown Estate over the next six to nine months.

The eight project applications are for extensions to:

• 317 MW Sheringham Shoal offshore wind farm, located off the coast of Norfolk, (east England), in operation since September 2012
• 402 MW Dudgeon offshore wind farm, located off the coast of Norfolk, in operation since November 2017
• 573 MW Race Bank offshore wind farm, located off the coast of Norfolk, in operation since February 2018
• 504 MW Greater Gabbard offshore wind farm, located off the coast of Suffolk (east England), in operation since August 2013
• 353 MW Galloper offshore wind farm, located off the coast of Suffolk, in operation since March 2018
• 400 MW Rampion offshore wind farm, located off the coast of Sussex (south England), in operation since November 2017
• 576 MW Gwynt y Môr offshore wind farm, located off the coast of north Wales, in operation since June 2015
• 300 MW Thanet offshore wind farm, located off the coast of Kent (south-east England), in operation since September 2010

Subject to the outcome of the plan level HRA, applicants could be granted agreements for lease in summer 2019. Successful developers would then commence project specific environmental assessments and seek consent for their projects through the statutory planning process.