The UK Secretary of State has accepted for examination Vattenfall’s application for the development consent order (DCO) for the Norfolk Vanguard offshore wind project.
The UK Planning Inspectorate has around three months to prepare for the examination and will appoint an examining authority for the process.
Vattenfall, who submitted the application to the Inspectorate on 26 June, is expected to receive the government’s consent decision at the end of next year.
If permitted, the 1.8GW Norfolk Vanguard could potentially break ground as early as 2020, with the project up and running by mid-2020s.
In addition, the Swedish energy company is developing Norfolk Boreas, a 1.8GW sister project also located some 47 and 73km off the Norfolk coast.