Norwegian energy major Equinor has received consent to double the capacity of the operational Sheringham Shoal and Dudgeon Offshore wind farms.
The consent for the windfarm extension projects was awarded by the UK Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero Claire Coutinho.
This will double the capacity of the existing wind farms which currently power around 710,000 UK homes. The extension will increase the wind farms’ capacity and enable it to power nearly 1.5m households.
The 317MW Sheringham Shoal offshore wind farm comprises 88 wind turbines and generates around 1.1TWh of green energy per annum while the 402MW Dudgeon offshore wind farm comprises 67 6MW wind turbine generators.
This is the first time in the UK that two offshore wind projects under separate ownership have been awarded consent under a shared application which provides the opportunity to combine the development of the two projects.
The consent application includes an option to utilise an integrated transmission system, as well as separate grid connections for each project.
During the construction phase, the extension projects are anticipated to support more than 1,800 full-time jobs per year across the UK and within East Anglia, generating over £370m ($460m) in direct gross value added to the East Anglia and UK economy.
Equinor will now review the consent granted in full detail and determine if and when the projects can be taken forward for the final investment decision.
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