The UK Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd will have additional two months to decide whether or not to give DONG Energy the approval to build the 1.8GW Hornsea Project Two wind farm after the deadline was extended to allow further examination on the project’s impact on marine life.
More specifically, the deadline was extended until 16 August to enable Rudd to obtain further information in order to fully assess the possible impact of the project on the Southern North Sea possible special area of conservation for harbour porpoise.
The Hornsea 2 OWF would consist of up to 300 wind turbine generators, each with a capacity of between 6MW and 15MW, approximately 89 kilometres east of the East Riding of Yorkshire coast.
The Planning Inspectorate’s Examining Authority commenced examination of the application on 16 June 2015 and the Examining Authority’s report was delivered to Rudd on 16 March 2016.
The Planning Act 2008 requires Rudd to make her decision within 3 months of receipt of the Examining Authority’s report unless she exercises her power to extend the deadline and make a statement to the House of Commons announcing the new deadline.
The decision to set a new deadline is without prejudice to the decision on whether to grant development consent for the project, according to a statement by Andrea Leadsom, the UK Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change.