Planning and consenting
The Sheringham Shoal and Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farms extension project is a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project [NSIP] and as such will be subject to the grant of a Development Consent Order [DCO] by the Planning Inspectorate [PINS].
There are six stages in the planning and consent process:
- Pre-application
- Acceptance
- Pre-examination
- Examination
- Decision
- Post Decision
and Equinor will be consulting widely and engaging with all stakeholders throughout the planning and consenting process.
Equinor submitted the DCO application to PINS in September 2022, and in October 2022 it was accepted for Examination.
The Examination process commenced on 17 January 2023 and concluded on 17 July 2023, and details of the Examination can be found at: https://infrastructure.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/Eastern/Sheringham-and-Dudgeon-Extension-Projects/
On 9th January 2024 the Secretary of State for The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) set a new deadline of no later than 17th April 2024 for deciding this application, and on the 17th April 2024 a Development Consent Order (DCO) was granted for both projects.
An application to increase renewable energy generation
On Tuesday, July 23, 2024, Equinor submitted a non-material change application for the Sheringham and Dudgeon Extension Projects (SEP and DEP). The proposed changes will increase the maximum energy that SEP and DEP can generate. If approved, the application would provide the necessary changes to the offshore infrastructure to allow an increase in SEP and DEP’s maximum generating capacity in line with the increase in the grid connection capacity from 719MW to 950MW.
The proposed changes will be delivered within the existing Crown Estate leased areas of the seabed through an increase to the total rotor-swept area of the projects and an additional interlink cable connecting the offshore arrays. The amendments will not change the other consented design parameters of the wind turbines, including the maximum number of wind turbines, up to 23 for SEP and 30 for DEP (up to 53 in total), the maximum rotor diameter (up to 300m), and the blade tip height (up to 330m). Additionally, there will not be any changes to the onshore infrastructure.
As part of the application process, Equinor is consulting the relevant marine and coastal stakeholders. A copy of the application and the Supplementary Environmental Report are available for inspection via the Planning Inspectorate's website at the below address: https://national-infrastructure-consenting.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/projects/EN010109/documents
