Offshore windfarms development could change face of North West coast

A company called Morgan Offshore Wind Limited, of Chertsey Road, Sunbury on Thames, Middlesex, has issued a public notice that it intends to apply to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero for consent to develop as part of the offshore wind leasing process a wind farm in the east Irish Sea.

Project details

The wind farm is expected to comprise up to 107 wind turbine generators and cabling to connect the wind turbine generators to each

other and to offshore substation platforms.

The notice says the project, a joint venture between bp Alternative Energy Investments Ltd and Energie Baden-Württemberg AG, is expected to have an installed capacity of approximately 1.5GW and will be located approximately 36km from the north west coast of England and approximately 22km from the Isle of Man.

If permission is granted, wind turbine generators and offshore substation platforms would be located within the offshore wind farm site and the wind turbine generators and offshore substation platforms connected to each other via inter-array and interconnector cables and fixed to the seabed with foundation structures.

Meanwhile, at the same time, company called Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Ltd, with a registered off in Edinburgh, has issued public notice that it is proposing to submit an application for development consent fort up to 40 offshore wind turbine generators, up to two substantion platforms and associated items.

That is a joint venture between Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios, S.A. (“Cobra”) and Flotation Energy Ltd and is anticipated to generate a nominal capacity of 480 megawatts (MW)

and produce renewable power for over 500,000 homes in the UK.

At its nearest point, the windfarm site is approximately 30km from the shore of the Lancashire coast and the applicant says the project will help the UK achieve its target of generating 50GW of power from offshore wind by 2030.

How to have your say

Following the publication of the notices on April 19, a consultation period runs until June 4 and foll details are available to view at www.morecambeandmorgan.com/morecambe or in hard copy at Penwortham Town Council and Community Centre and Preston Town Hall as well as libraries and other public buildings in Southport, Barrow in Furness and North Wales.

Inquiries can also be made by phone on 0800 915 2493 (option 2), open Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, email to [email protected] or in writing to Freepost Morecambe Generation.

What’s the background?

The Government has said it wants to generate enough wind energy to be able to power every home in the UK by 2030.

Its energy strategy promises a major expansion of offshore wind turbines in the coming years

The target is for 50 gigawatts (GW) of the UK's electricity to be generated by offshore wind by the end of the decade - 5GW of which it is hoped will come from floating platforms in deeper seas off the UK coast.

To this end, the Government is speeding up the time it takes for new projects to be given the go-ahead, including cutting the approval time needed for new offshore wind farms from four years to one.

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