Dudgeon Offshore Wind Limited (DOW), a subsidiary of Warwick Energy Limited, has today received planning permission from Breckland Council to build and operate an onshore substation near Necton, Norfolk, together with an associated buried cable route spur.
The substation is needed to connect the Dudgeon Offshore Wind Farm (Dudgeon) project to the national electrical transmission system that already runs through the area.
All other elements of the project have already been approved and the decision today, which follows the planning officer’s recommendation, now allows the Dudgeon project team to plan the construction phase with confidence.
The Dudgeon site, where the wind turbines will be installed, is located 32km offshore from Cromer. Approximately 100 turbines will be located there, depending on the model of turbine chosen, generating up to 560MW.
Following the outcome today DOW announces that it intends to set up a Community Support Fund (CSF) to help selected good causes in communities around the cable route, substation and elsewhere in Norfolk. This initiative is in line with similar ones set up for some other offshore wind projects.
The CSF will receive £100,000 per year once the Dudgeon project becomes operational; exact details will be published at a later date. The project could be generating power for up to 50 years.
The support to be provided by the CSF will be in addition to any funds the area may receive from the Coastal Communities Fund (CCF) set up by H.M. Treasury in July 2011. The CCF will allow access to half of the rental income from the marine activities of The Crown Estate, such as offshore wind farms.
The CCF for England has started allocating over £18m of funds each year and this funding will be boosted by up to £1.5m each year when Dudgeon starts generating power later this decade.
Mark Petterson, Project Director , said: “Now that all elements of the project have been consented it is the appropriate time for us to announce that the Dudgeon project will be providing substantial direct and indirect benefits to local communities for decades to come.”
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Press release, October 1, 2012; Image: Dudgeon Offshore Wind Ltd