UK: RWE Announces Local Consultation on Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm

The creation of hundreds of jobs and production of huge amounts of home grown renewable energy is one step closer today as RWE npower renewables makes a series of announcements about the Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm.

The company, one of the UK’s leading renewable energy developers, is announcing a consultation on the wind farm’s electrical system and is also providing further information about the onshore infrastructure that is required.

Following the completion of in-depth studies which have been carried out over the last 12 months, the company has announced an update on the electrical system which will carry the renewable energy from the wind farm to UK households and businesses.

The company has already submitted an application for the offshore package, including the offshore wind turbines, which will be decided upon by the Secretary of State later this year.

Project Manager for Triton Knoll, Jacob Hain explains: “In order to transmit the electricity generated, infrastructure will be required between the offshore wind farm and the national grid connection point.

“This will consist of undersea cables travelling from the offshore wind farm to a location in the vicinity of Anderby Creek. We will then bury cables underground to an intermediate electrical compound on one of three short listed sites located within the East Lindsey area. The underground cables will then travel to a substation on one of four short listed sites located near the national grid connection point at Bicker Fen, to the west of Boston.

“Our consultation will allow us to gather local knowledge and help communities to influence the proposals and have their say. We are also now able to show the underground ‘cable corridors’ for the cables which will carry the electricity from where it comes to shore in the vicinity of Anderby Creek between the compound and the substation and to the national grid connection point. The corridors are around 1km wide, and will be narrowed down to a 60m wide ‘cable route’, once a decision has been reached on the location of the compound and substation.”

RWE npower renewables has also announced its decision to use Alternating Current (AC) technology to transmit the power from the wind farm to the national grid which has a number of benefits over the other options considered.

The consultation will begin later this month on the 19th February and will run until 5th April. During the consultation the company will be seeking the views on:

• the three possible locations where an intermediate electrical compound could be located in the East Lindsey area;
• and the four options for the siting of an onshore electricity substation in the area to the south west of Boston.

The consultation will include a series of public exhibitions that will be held between March 5th and March 11th (see below for venues, dates and times). The Triton Knoll project team will be available at the events to answer questions and talk about the options identified and why they are being considered. Images of what the infrastructure could look like will also be available to view at the events.

A project update is also being sent out widely to residents and organisations in the areas involved. All information will be available at public access points or on the RWE npower renewables website: www.npower-renewables.com/tritonknoll.

Project Manager for Triton Knoll, Jacob Hain said: “The consultation will ensure that the location we finally choose is the most appropriate location for the Triton Knoll electrical infrastructure.

”Once the consultation period is underway, we will contact those in the near vicinity of the short listed sites so they can be clear about what is being proposed and have the chance to comment on our suggestions. We hope for as many people as possible to get involved with our consultation as we are very keen to get the views of local people.

“This is a very exciting project which could provide a huge amount of green electricity for the country, reducing our dependence on imported fossil fuels as well as generating an important a source of investment and jobs into the region. We are looking forward to sharing our ideas and listening to people’s views.”

A further consultation into a community investment scheme will be held later in the year, once the intermediate electrical compound and sub station sites have been chosen.

Date, locations and times:

– Tuesday 5th March Swineshead – Swineshead Village Hall, North End, Boston, PE20 3NA 3pm to 7pm
– Wednesday 6th March Bicker Fen – Bicker Fen Village Hall, Cemetery Road, Bicker, Boston, PE20 3BT 3pm to 7pm
– Thursday 7th March Anderby Creek – Anderby Village Hall, Sea Road, Anderby, Skegness, PE24 5YE 3pm to 7pm
– Saturday 9th March Stickney – Stickney Community Hall
– Hall Lane, Stickney, Boston, PE22 8BA 3pm to 7pm
– Sunday 10th March The Royal Hotel
– South Parade Skegness Lincolnshire PE25 3EH 3pm to 7pm
– Monday 11th March The Royal Hotel
– South Parade Skegness Lincolnshire PE25 3EH 12pm – 6pm

[mappress]

Press release, February 6, 2013; Image: RWE