Equinor has signed an agreement for lease with the UK Crown Estate for its up to 719MW Sheringham Shoal and Dudgeon extension projects off east England.
The agreement grants Equinor the formal rights to a 196 kilometre-square seabed area where the wind farm complex will be developed.
Sheringham and Dudgeon extension project manager Kari Hege Mork said the development will play an important role in helping the UK reach 40GW installed offshore wind capacity by 2030.
“The extension projects will make an important contribution to the UK’s decarbonisation goals, along with providing benefits to local communities through local jobs and economic opportunities,” he said.
“With good wind conditions, a short distance to shore and a location next to our existing wind farms the two areas are perfectly suited to build on our offshore wind portfolio. This is a significant milestone as we develop these new wind farms which will double our capacity for generating offshore wind in Norfolk,” he added.
Equinor is developing out the two developments together to minimise local impacts.
The projects were both secured during the Crown Estate’s 2017 offshore wind extensions leasing opportunity and last year they obtained plan-level Habitats Regulations Assessments.
The Norwegian developer has just finished its first phase of community consultations for the project and intends to submit a Development Consent Order application by the end of 2021.