UK: Forewind to Host Meeting on Dogger Bank Onshore Electricity Infrastructure

Forewind will this week host the third meeting of the community working group that has been established to assist with the siting of the onshore electricity infrastructure for the proposed Dogger Bank Creyke Beck offshore wind development.

Following on from meetings held in March and May, this meeting will build on work carried out previously and outline future steps including the next consultation phase.

Forewind contractors, Land Use Consultants will present an update on the landscape and visual impact assessments for the proposed converter stations, planned to be just north of the A1079. There will also be a discussion on options for the alternating current (AC) cable route from the proposed converter station to the National Grid Creyke Beck substation, around two kilometres away, and access during construction.

Working group members who each sit on behalf of a local parish council, East Riding of Yorkshire Council or a community group will be able to ask Forewind and other representatives about all the work being planned, including the substation upgrade.

Forewind Stakeholder Manager, Nikki Smith said this week’s third meeting will be another step forward in the proposals for the converter station and AC able route, which will be included in the environmental impact assessment – now being drafted for the next stage of public consultation.

“As the working group members all represent important stakeholder groups, they are able to convey the progress of the project with their wider constituents and bring back any issues likely to have an impact on those living or working nearby,” Miss Smith said.

Dogger Bank Creyke Beck will be the first stage in the development of the Dogger Bank offshore wind zone, located 125 kilometres (approximately 80 miles) off the Yorkshire coast. It will be up to 2.4GW of generating capacity, which will connect into the existing Creyke Beck substation near Cottingham in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

It will comprise up to two offshore wind farms and onshore infrastructure which will include underground cables to transmit power from the coast to one or more DC to AC converter stations as well as a connection between the converter station/s and the existing Creyke Beck substation.

There will be up to two more meetings of the working group with the next one likely to be held early next year, depending on the development programme.

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Press release, October 23, 2012; Image: Forewind