Community feedback sought on major offshore wind farm

An extensive community consultation about one of Norfolk’s largest offshore wind farms is to start next week, the developer Vattenfall said today. 
 
The Swedish energy group is seeking feedback from local people during November and early December on preliminary environmental information that has been gathered and assessed by independent specialists for the 1.8GW Norfolk Boreas offshore wind farm. The specialists’ assessment, combined with local feedback received before and during the community consultation, will allow a final proposal and any plans for mitigation to be submitted into planning in summer 2019. 
 
Local people can view the preliminary environmental information at various locations around the County and at seven pubic information days. Feedback can be provided to Vattenfall by completing a paper questionnaire or online. 
 
Graham Davey, Vattenfall’s Project manager for the proposed Norfolk Boreas offshore wind farm said: “The feedback we have received over the past two years about Norfolk Boreas and Norfolk Vanguard has given us a good idea of local issues and opportunities. That feedback has helped us minimise impact and identify benefits which will maximise local value. The environmental information we are consulting on builds on that picture.  
 
“But with this community consultation we want to take this opportunity to further refine the Norfolk Boreas proposal before submitting to decision makers next summer. So, please complete a questionnaire and come and talk to us about our plans for Norfolk Boreas at one of our public information days.” 
 
Mr. Davey added: “Norfolk Boreas is an important offshore wind farm capable of delivering 25% of the East of England’s electricity demand. Not only will Norfolk Boreas help fight climate change by generating low cost, fossil free electricity it will also secure hundreds of jobs in the region.” 
 
The information gathered during the statutory consultation will help Vattenfall complete the project’s final design and any necessary mitigation ahead of a formal application in summer 2019 for a development consent order from the Secretary of State for Energy in 2020. 
 
The public information days start on 14 November at Happisburgh with the final information day to be held in Reepham on 24 November. Further details can be found on the Vattenfall website. 
 
Vattenfall is proposing to deploy a minimum of 90 turbines potentially up to 350 metres high (above sea level) with a potential capacity of 20MW with a maximum capacity of 1.8GW. The Norfolk Boreas development area is 73km off the Norfolk coast.  
 
It is proposed that the power will come ashore at Happisburgh and be exported to the National Grid substation near Necton via a 60km underground transmission cable, alongside its sister project, Norfolk Vanguard.