BEIS Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has paused the planning process for Vattenfall’s 1800MW Norfolk Boreas offshore wind project off East Anglia in the UK.
A final consenting decision on the project was due this month, but an update from the Planning Inspectorate yesterday said that Kwarteng “will be setting a new deadline for a decision”.
“A statement confirming the new deadline for a decision will be made to the House of Commons and House of Lords in accordance with section 107(7) of the Planning Act 2008 in due course.”
The decision to delay a final call on the project comes after the UK High Court quashed consents for Boreas’ sister project, the 1.8GW Norfolk Vanguard, earlier this year.
The Secretary of State has pledged to re-determine that application, but further details of that process are yet to be published.
Both projects will need to achieve final consents ahead of the 12GW Contracts for Difference fourth auction, which is due to open later this year, in order to be eligible to compete for supports.