UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has granted planning consent to BP, EnBW’s 1500MW Mona wind farm off north-west England.
The 96-turbine array is the first Round 4 development to reach the milestone.
Miliband said: “This government was elected to take back control of our energy – and in our first year we have shown that the clean power revolution is here to stay.
“Whether it’s offshore wind, solar or nuclear, we are backing the builders not the blockers so we can deliver the clean homegrown power this country needs to protect family finances.”
A consent decision had been due by 16 July after the Planning Inspectorate finished a six-month examination of the Mona DCO application in January.
The application had been submitted on 22 February 2024 and was accepted for examination one month later.
The UK Planning Inspectorate said it was the 95th energy application out of 159 applications it had examined to date.
It added that examiners had “listened and (given) full consideration to all local views and the evidence gathered” before making a recommendation to Miliband on 16 April.
Evidence included representations from Orsted on mitigation for projected wake effects at operational wind farms in the Irish Sea and from BAE Systems and the Ministry of Defence on potential radar interference.
The project is due to connect to the National Grid’s Bodelwyddan substation in north Wales.
BP, EnBW are also awaiting a permit call for the neighbouring 1.5GW Morgan array which is due to be made by 10 September.
The developers have been paying option fees of £154,000 per MW/annum for each of the wind farms since signing the Round 4 Agreements for Lease in January 2023.
BP Vice President Offshore Wind Richard Sandford said: “This is a significant step forward for the project, bringing us closer to delivering large-scale, lower carbon energy that is critical to the UK’s net zero ambitions.
“With this approval in place, our focus now turns to delivery – working with partners, supply chain and communities to help maximise the economic benefits Mona can bring to north Wales and the wider UK.”