The UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has approved the development of electrical system for the proposed 900MW Triton Knoll offshore wind farm.
Planned to be built within Greater Wash Strategic Area, 33km away from the coast of Lincolnshire in the North Sea, the wind farm is being developed jointly by RWE Innogy and Statkraft.
Planning Inspectorate for England and Wales CEO Sarah Richards said: “A major priority for us over the course of the examination was to ensure that communities who might be affected by this proposal had the opportunity to put forward their views.
“As always, the Examining Authority gave careful consideration to these before reaching a conclusion.”
The electrical system comprises onshore and offshore buried export cables and associated works; an intermediate electrical compound; and a substation in the vicinity of the grid connection point.
Power generated from the Triton Knoll wind farm will be supplied to the National Grid substation at Bicker Fen in Lincolnshire through the electrical system.
Triton Knoll consent delivery manager Melissa Read said: “In the Humber area, we anticipate the project could be worth a total of around £224m and support over 800 jobs annually during construction alone, while its operation could support a further 220 jobs annually locally.”
Scheduled to be commissioned in 2020, the project will feature 288 turbines with capacity between 3.6MW and 8MW.
Expected to cost between £3bn and £4bn, the wind farm will provide enough electricity to meet the energy needs of up to 800,000 average households annually.
Triton Knoll project director James Cotter added: “Triton Knoll aims to be one of the most cost competitive offshore wind farms in Europe by seeking best value in all aspects of the project.”
RWE Innogy and Statkraft will now compete for financial support for the fully-approved project in the upcoming contracts for difference (CfDs) auction.
Image: The Triton Knoll offshore project will feature 288 turbines with capacity between 3.6MW and 8MW. Photo: courtesy of Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Ltd.