UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has granted planning consent to RWE’s 1.2GW Rampion 2 wind farm off south England.
The 90-turbine array, which is an extension of the existing 400MW Rampion project that has been online since 2018, will connect to the National Grid at the Bolney substation in Sussex.
A consent decision had been due on 6 February after the Planning Inspectorate finished a six-month examination of the Rampion 2 DCO application last August.
However, the deadline was extended by around eight weeks to allow RWE sufficient time to respond to a request for information from energy department DESNZ on how tougher piling restrictions sought by Natural England could affect delivery of the project.
DESNZ said Miliband had considered the overall planning balance and concluded the public benefits from the wind farm “outweigh the harm identified”.
The consent order has been made with modifications including a seasonal piling restriction that will run from 1 March to 31 July to mitigate impacts on black seabream plus a commitment to ensuring adequate monitoring, mitigation and compensation for great black-backed gulls.
Construction is slated to begin in 2027-28 ahead of full commercial operations by 2030.
The permit nod is also expected to pave the way for RWE to mount a bid for a Contract for Difference for the scheme in this year’s Allocation Round 7.
Development of the project is being led by RWE on behalf of joint venture partners, a Macquarie-led consortium and a subsidiary of Enbridge Inc., a North American energy infrastructure company.
It is expected that construction of the project will create 4000 jobs.
Once fully operational, Rampion 2 will be capable of powering the equivalent of over one million UK homes.
Subsea cables will bring the power to shore under Climping Beach. An underground cable route will take the power to a new substation at Oakendene near Cowfold, before finally connecting into the transmission network at Bolney.
RWE director of offshore wind development for UK and Ireland Danielle Lane said: “We are delighted to receive the development consent order for the proposed Rampion 2 offshore wind farm.
“This is a key milestone in the development of the project, as Rampion 2 can play an important role in helping secure the UK’s energy supplies from our abundant wind resource and play a key role in supporting the UK government’s clean power ambitions.”
Rampion 2 project lead Umair Patel added: “This is great news for Rampion 2 and for Sussex, as the wind farm could generate around three-quarters of all the electricity demands for the whole of Sussex and help generate jobs during both construction and operation.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Sussex community for their input over the past four years, helping us to refine and adapt the proposals to create the best possible project for this site, for the community and the environment.”