Equinor has launched the community consultation period for the Sheringham Shoal and Dudgeon offshore wind extension projects off the North Norfolk coast in the UK.
This first phase will run from 9 July to 20 August, and feedback is sought for the location of the onshore substation, the underground onshore cable route and any lessons that can be taken from the earlier construction of the Sheringham Shoal and Dudgeon offshore wind farms.
Cables from the extension projects will come ashore at Weybourne, before being installed in a trench heading south towards a new onshore substation, near to the existing National Grid Norwich Main Substation.
Equinor said it had developed a range of options online and via dedicated communications lines due to the current social distancing practice to invite feedback and ensure that all interested parties have access to the information.
“It’s really important to us to hear from the community at this early stage of the project, so that we can consider feedback from the local people as the projects develop,” said Kari Hege Mørk , Project Manager at Equinor.
“One area we’re specifically looking for input on is to help us inform the criteria for the site selection of the onshore substation area, close to the Norwich Main substation, as well as feedback to assist us in refining the detail of the onshore cable route from Weybourne to the substation site.”
After completing this first phase of consultations, Equinor will publish a report summarising the feedback received and how this is being considered.
The second phase will be held in spring 2021 when the company will present its refined plans, invite comments to the Preliminary Environmental Report (PEIR) and provide additional information including visualizations of what the projects will look like onshore and from the coast.
Equinor plans to submit the Development Consent Order (DCO) application by the end of 2021.
The Dudgeon and Sheringham Shoal extensions are two of the seven offshore wind extension projects that the Crown Estate selected in August 2019 following a plan level Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA).
They are being developed as one project with an integrated grid option.