UK: RWE’s Onshore Cable Route Survey Raises Concern

The latest move of Triton Knoll wind farm developer, RWE npower renewables, to carry out “non-intrusive ecological surveys” has raised concerns, Lincolnshire reports.

In January, the company changed their initial plans for connecting a 1,2 GW wind farm to the grid trough a 50 mile network of pylons across East Lindsey.

The National Grid gave the company an offer to connect the wind farm to the existing electricity transmission network at the Bicker Fen substation with an underground direct current (DC) cable.

“The cables should go on the seabed and take the shortest underground land route to the substation at Bicker Fen.

“Coming onshore on the coast at Ingoldmells and travelling to Bicker Fen would be simply plain wrong and an environmental disaster for the whole area,” said Councillor Colin Davie.

“National Grid’s offer is based on the use of underground cables, installed between Triton Knoll and Bicker Fen substation which would export the power generated by the offshore wind farm into the existing electricity grid.

“In order to find the best potential routes for the electricity cables, we commenced onshore and offshore environmental and engineering studies,” explains Project manager at RWE, Jacob Hain.

[mappress]

Offshore WIND staff, April 09, 2012; Image: rwe