BEIS delays planning decisions on 4.2GW of offshore wind

The government has delayed planning decisions on two offshore windfarms with a combined capacity of 4.2GW.

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) was due to reveal decisions today (1 June) on whether to grant development consent orders to three offshore windfarms – the 2.4GW Hornsea Three project being developed by Orsted and the 1.8GW Norfolk Vanguard and 340MW Thanet Extension schemes from Vattenfall.

The decision on Hornsea Three has already been delayed twice already. It was originally due in the first week of October 2019 but was postponed until the end of March after the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds raised concerns over the impact on several species of seabird. In January, the verdict was delayed again to allow Orsted to submit additional information to the Planning Inspectorate.

The Norfolk Vanguard and Thanet Extension decisions have also been delayed once already. They were due on 10 and 11 December respectively but were likewise postponed until the beginning of June to allow Vattenfall to submit more information.

The Planning Inspectorate has now confirmed that the decisions on Hornsea Three and Norfolk Vanguard have been postponed once more until 1 July. The body said business and energy secretary Alok Sharma would give a statement to parliament “as soon as possible” but was unable to provide an update regarding the decision on the Thanet Extension.

A spokesman for Vattenfall said: “No explanation has been given to us for the delay so we remain unsure as to the reasoning behind this decision.”

Danielle Lane, UK country manager for Vattenfall, raised concerns over the impact of repeated delays on the sector: “Norfolk Vanguard is one of the most innovative and ambitious offshore wind projects in the world. Yet this is now the second time it has suffered a delay, despite addressing all of the major concerns raised during the planning process.

“Coming so soon after the decision on Norfolk Boreas was pushed back until October, the offshore wind industry will be left wondering about the government’s intentions for this sector.

“We’re in a race against time to reduce emissions and need to respond to the economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, yet crucial infrastructure decisions are being put on hold.

“While we appreciate the added difficulties posed by the current lockdown, some of the largest engineering projects ever built – capable of providing clean energy security and a vital economic boost to the UK – remain in limbo. For every day that goes by without a decision, there are consequences for the next phase of the project, so it’s vital that there are no further delays.”

RenewableUK’s chief executive Hugh McNeal said: “Any delay in the decision-making process is disappointing. We want to work with government to achieve their ambition of 40GW of offshore wind by 2030 and the UK’s wider net-zero target.

“Major projects like these are vital to generate clean power on the scale we need to decarbonise our economy. We need the government to take decisions in a timely manner so that offshore wind can play a leading role in getting our economy back on track after the coronavirus crisis.”