The UK Planning Inspectorate has submitted its recommendation report on Rampion 2, the proposed 1.2 GW extension to the existing 400 MW Rampion offshore wind farm in Sussex, to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, who now has three months to issue a decision.
The inspectorate closed the examination period in August following public consultation and review of RWE’s application for the development consent order (DCO). The Examining Authority (ExA) has sent findings and conclusions of the examination to the Secretary of State together with the recommendation.
Energy Secretary Ed Miliband is expected to issue a decision on whether to approve the 1.2 GW offshore wind farm no later than 6 February 2025.
If consented, construction on Rampion 2 could start in late 2026 or early 2027 and the offshore wind farm would then be fully operational before the end of the decade.
RWE signed a seabed lease agreement with The Crown Estate in 2021 and submitted the DCO application in August 2023. The Planning Inspectorate started the examination process on 7 September 2023.
Rampion 2 wind turbines are proposed to be installed to the south and west of the existing Rampion offshore wind farm site, between 13 and 25 kilometres offshore.
The offshore wind farm is planned to have 90 wind turbines and would connect to the national electricity transmission network through underground cables that would run from a landfall at Climping, West Sussex, to the existing National Grid electricity substation at Bolney in Mid-Sussex, via the new dedicated Rampion 2 ‘satellite’ substation at Oakendene.
The initial plan for Rampion 2 was for the project to have 116 wind turbines but following statutory consultation held in 2021 and 2022 and feedback on visual effects and shipping from key stakeholders, the developer reduced the size of the array site and the number of turbines to 90.
RWE is developing the offshore wind farm on behalf of Rampion Extension Development Limited, a joint venture company owned by the Germany-based developer, a Macquarie-led consortium, and a subsidiary of Enbridge.