November 24, 2021 11.28 am This story is over 43 months old

Major offshore windfarm plans could connect to Lincolnshire coastline

Dogger Bank would be built 100km off the coast
An offshore wind farm. | Photo: Triton Knoll

A major new offshore windfarm could connect back to land on the coastline between Grimsby and Skegness, according to a new report.

The Dogger Bank South Offshore Wind Farms are planned to be built 100km offshore in the southern North Sea and covering an area of around 500km.

RWE Renewables, who are behind the plans and also building the Triton Knoll Offshore Windfarm, hope the stations could create more than 3,000MW of energy.

Documents before the Planning Inspectorate, which are currently scoping out the environmental impact of the build, have revealed the applicant is waiting for confirmation from National Grid around three potential points where cable arrays could rejoin land – and one of the options is 507km2 of land “between Grimsby and Skegness”.

The report said: “The precise landfall location(s) will be determined following confirmation of the onshore grid connection point(s) from National Grid ESO and will be subject to further site selection, considering relevant consultation feedback and initial survey data.”

More detailed analysis defines it as land south of Humberston, to the north of Skegness.

A map showing the location of the windfarm and potential landfall areas in yellow. | Image: RWE

It later adds that the area of search for landfall locations does not extend further north, due to a “number of constraints within the Humber Estuary”.

Councils have already been notified of the plans, however, due to the current status of the application, have not yet been formally consulted on the plans.

Once the National Grid confirms where it will allow the connection to be made, then formal consultation will start.

According to the Planning Inspectorate the full application for the windfarm is expected to be submitted in Quarter 4 of 2023.