First application for Dogger Bank projects

The application for Dogger Bank Creyke Beck, comprising two offshore wind farms with a total installed capacity of up to 2.4 gigawatts (GW), was submitted in August after more than three years of surveys and research work, reporting and stakeholder engagement activity.

The Planning Inspectorate will now begin a pre-examination phase that will be followed by a formal examination process. Together these should take around 10 months. A recommendation will then go to the Secretary of State who will make the final consent decision.

Forewind General Manager Dr Lee Clarke said the acceptance of the application by the Planning Inspectorate is the culmination of the most extensive offshore survey programme ever undertaken in the UK offshore wind industry and one of the most comprehensive and thorough environmental impact assessments to date.

"This has only been possible through close collaboration between the project partners, suppliers and contractors, and positive dialogue with the many and varied stakeholders," he said.

Dogger Bank Creyke Beck will be followed by two more stages of development for the zone, namely Dogger Bank Teesside A & B and Dogger Bank Teesside C & D.

Both these stages also comprise two up to 1.2 GW offshore wind farms, and connect into the national grid in Redcar and Cleveland. The second and final stage of consultation for Dogger Bank Teesside A & B is due to start in November this year.

Forewind is a consortium comprising four leading international energy companies (RWE, SSE, Statkraft, Statoil) which joined forces to bid for the Dogger Bank Zone Development Agreement as part of The Crown Estate's third licence round for UK offshore wind farms (Round 3).

See more at: www.forewind.co.uk/news/85/34/First-application-accepted-for-Dogger-Bank.html