SSE and RWE Secure Crown Estate Lease for Greater Gabbard Extension
SSE Renewables and RWE Renewables, co-owners of the operational 504MW Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm, have signed an Agreement for Lease with UK seabed managers The Crown Estate, securing an option to extend the existing wind farm.
SSE Renewables and RWE Renewables, co-owners of the operational 504MW Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm, have signed an Agreement for Lease with UK seabed managers The Crown Estate, securing an option to extend the existing wind farm.
The two world-leading offshore wind developers have established a 50:50 equal joint venture company to develop an extension to the operational Greater Gabbard wind farm, which is located around 20 kilometres off the UK coast in the southern North Sea. The project extension is planned for an area of seabed covering a total of 150 km2.
The new project has been named North Falls Offshore Wind Farm, after the North Falls sandbank located at the southern tip of the proposed site of the wind farm.
The North Falls Offshore Wind Farm will comprise a number of wind turbines on fixed foundations, plus dedicated offshore and onshore electrical infrastructure. The newly-signed lease agreement is for an additional capacity of 504MW, the same as the existing Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm. The final capacity of the project will be determined during the development and consenting process.
Paul Cooley, Director of Capital Projects at SSE Renewables, said: “North Falls Offshore Wind Farm will build on the successful offshore wind legacy in the East of England. We’re looking forward to working with RWE Renewables to create more clean energy, create more jobs and move towards a net zero future.”
Richard Sandford, RWE’s Director Offshore Development Europe said: “Our positive partnership with SSE Renewables on the existing Greater Gabbard Wind Farm has given us invaluable experience that will ensure the success of the extension project. It is exciting to be working together again and to be further contributing to the UK’s green energy future.”
The Agreement for Lease with The Crown Estate has been granted to the joint venture under an extensions application process launched in 2017. The signing of both the joint venture agreement and the Agreement for Lease means the North Falls extension project can now begin detailed development activity including comprehensive onshore and offshore surveys and studies to inform the Environmental Assessment.
The joint venture company will comprise staff from both organisations and will be led by newly appointed Project Manager Martin Whyte, who comes to the project with more than 11 years’ experience working in the offshore wind sector.
Project Manager Martin Whyte said: “Signing both the joint venture agreement and the Agreement for Lease with The Crown Estate is like firing the starting gun, although we have made some early progress, we can now accelerate our activities and move properly into development.”
During the coming three years, work will include engineering design, stakeholder consultation and community engagement before the Development Consent Order application is submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.
The North Falls development will build on the expertise and learnings from the original Greater Gabbard project, and other shareholder developments, to ensure best practice and to maximise the positive benefits.
The Development Consent Order application for North Falls Offshore Wind Farm is expected to be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in 2023.
The operational 504MW Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm is a 50:50 joint venture between SSE Renewables and RWE Renewables and has been in operation since 2012, generating enough low-carbon renewable energy each year to power the equivalent of over 400,000 UK homes. SSE Renewables operates the offshore wind farm of behalf of the joint venture partnership.
When originally developed it was a pioneering project for the UK offshore wind industry and for many years the existing 140-turbine site was the largest wind farm under development world-wide.
