SSE Renewables, part of UK utility SSE Plc (LON:SSE), has secured planning permission in principle from East Lothian Council for the onshore grid network of its 4.1-GW Berwick Bank Offshore Wind Farm project.
This marks the first planning milestone for the huge project which will be located 38 km (24 miles) off the East Lothian coast in Scotland.
Following the consent in principle for the project’s onshore transmission infrastructure and grid connection at Branxton, SSE Renewables will submit a detailed design planning application to East Lothian Council.
An application for the offshore infrastructure is currently before the Scottish government. The company hopes to secure consent for the offshore part early in the new year, which could allow it to take part in the UK’s next auction for contracts for difference (CfD), Allocation Round 6 (AR6), which is expected to open in March 2024.
Subject to obtaining a timely consent and offtake contract, SSE Renewables will aim for a final investment decision on the project in 2025.
“The onshore grid network is an immensely important part of the project; simply put, without this element, the project could not continue,” Alex Meredith, SSE Renewables Berwick Bank project director, commented on Wednesday.
