The UK’s Planning Inspectorate has concluded its six-month examination period for the 3GW Dogger Bank South (DBS) offshore wind farms.
RWE and Masdar have hailed the conclusion of the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) examination period as a major milestone.
The two DBS projects would be capable of supplying around 3 million UK homes with electricity annually. They would be located in shallow waters on the Dogger Bank, over 100km off the north-east coast of England.
RWE’s director of offshore wind development in the UK and Ireland Danielle Lane said: “We are delighted to have reached this milestone for the DBS projects, the most powerful offshore wind farms currently progressing through the NSIP planning process.
“Beyond delivering clean electricity to millions of homes, these projects have the potential to provide a significant economic boost, particularly to the north-east of England, supporting thousands of jobs during development and construction.
“They also demonstrate RWE’s continued commitment to working closely with partners like Masdar to support the government’s mission of building a sustainable, energy-secure future for the UK.”
Director of global offshore wind at Masdar Husain Al Meer said: “Today’s announcement brings us one stage closer to the all-important green light for the DBS projects, which are set to play a leading role in the UK’s energy transformation.
“Masdar has been a key partner in the UK’s clean energy journey and these projects will help power millions of homes, drive sustainable economic growth and create much-needed jobs.
“We look forward to continuing working with RWE in bringing these projects to fruition and supporting a clean, secure energy future for the UK.”
The DBS offshore wind farms are a joint venture between RWE and Masdar. RWE leads both DBS projects, overseeing development, construction, and operations on behalf of the joint venture partnership.
Since the start of the examination this January, the Planning Inspectorate has assessed the environmental, socio-economic and technical attributes of the DBS projects against the UK’s standards for sustainable infrastructure development.
The Inspectorate will prepare and submit a detailed report with recommendations to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero within the next three months, and a consent decision is anticipated within the next six months.