East Anglia Offshore Wind (EAOW), a 50-50 joint venture between ScottishPower Renewables and Vattenfall, has appointed Royal HaskoningDHV as the lead Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) consultant on two major offshore wind farms – East Anglia THREE and East Anglia FOUR.
The appointment comes shortly after a planning application was submitted for the 1,200MW East Anglia ONE project, the first project to be developed in the East Anglia Zone. In total, it is anticipated that the entire zone could host 6 offshore windfarms, with a combined capacity of up to 7.2GW.
East Anglia THREE and East Anglia FOUR are located next to each other approximately 70km from the Norfolk/Suffolk coast and are targeted to have a capacity of around 1.2GW each.
As lead EIA consultant, Royal HaskoningDHV will coordinate all of the work undertaken to ensure that the projects can be developed with a minimal impact on the environment. Studies undertaken as part of an Environmental Impact Assessment include full geophysical survey of the sites, two years of aerial ornithological surveys, fisheries consultation and shipping monitoring. The data from these studies will be used as part of any planning application, which would be expected in Summer 2014.
Jason Martin, Project Director at East Anglia Offshore Wind , said: “We have recently submitted our first full planning application for East Anglia ONE, but development across the entire zone continues, as we look to carry out detailed studies that will support future planning applications. We are pleased to bring Royal HaskoningDHV on board, who have an excellent track record in providing expert support for major renewable energy projects.”
Royal HaskoningDHV Project Director Alistair Davison says: “These projects will make an important contribution to achieving the UK’s ambitious targets for renewable energy. We are delighted to be working with the East Anglia Team to help drive forward development of this vital industry.”
RHDHV Project Manager Paolo Pizzolla states: “This appointment means that Royal HaskoningDHV is currently working on 4 of the 9 ‘Round 3 Zones’ and builds upon our strong track record including the recent consent for the 560MW Dudgeon Offshore Windfarm.”
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Press release, January 24, 2013; Image: signsexpress