Watson, Farley & Williams (“WFW”) has advised DONG Energy on its successful application for a development consent order (“DCO”) for the Walney Extension Offshore Wind Farm.
The DCO, which was granted by the Secretary of State for Energy Climate Change today, authorises a 750MW extension to the existing Walney I & II offshore wind farms. The project, when constructed, could include up to 207 wind turbines, power around 500,000 homes and will be located in the Irish Sea, between the west coast of Heysham and the Isle of Man.
Appointed to the project in February 2013, WFW has been retained to advise on all aspects of this Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project, from land assembly and strategic oversight of the application, through to drafting the DCO and providing advocacy at the public hearings held in the north west of England and on the Isle of Man. The DCO pioneered a new dual marine licence approach, which has since been successfully adopted by the offshore wind industry and the Secretary of State in relation to other recent DCOs.
The WFW team was led by Head of Planning & Project Development, partner Gareth Phillips, assisted by senior associate Gabriel Davies and associate Peter Cole.
London partner Gareth Phillips, Head of the Planning & Project Development Team at WFW , said: “I am delighted that DONG Energy has obtained development consent for this important project and that we have been able to assist it in this process. This instruction has provided us with the opportunity to apply our international energy sector experience to the development consent stage, and to work alongside genuine leaders in the development industry, including Source Low Carbon, Quod, and Royal Haskoning. This has been a great team effort and together we have helped DONG Energy achieve another important milestone in its offshore wind development strategy for the UK.”
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Press release; Image: wfw