Our Stage 2 (statutory) Consultation closed in May 2023, and since then we have been assessing and considering all feedback from this consultation alongside ongoing engineering, technical, and environmental assessments.
Our Stage 2 (statutory) Consultation closed in May 2023, and since then we have been assessing and considering all feedback from this consultation alongside ongoing engineering, technical, and environmental assessments.
We thank those who have engaged in this process and as a result, in preparation for developing our final application, we are now in a position to provide early feedback on some of the refinements to our proposals.
Onshore substation search area selection
Since our first stage of consultation in Summer 2022, Five Estuaries has maintained two Substation Search Areas (SSA’s); SSA East and SSA West, for our onshore substation location.
We can now confirm that the preferred location for the Five Estuaries substation to be within SSA West. This search area is adjacent to the location selected for the new substation for the National Grid Norwich to Tilbury reinforcement (previously named East Anglia GREEN) and overlaps with North Falls Offshore Wind Farm substation search area.
Consultation feedback encouraged greater coordination with North Falls and National Grid. This site allows us to:
- Focus impacts in a single area when considering cumulative development.
- Have a lower overall land take with the SSA West co-located site when compared to locating the substations in different search areas.
It also allows for co-ordination of design, which includes the potential for shared temporary and permanent access roads, co-ordinated design and landscape mitigation principles to support reducing impact on the surrounding area.
Landfall zone selection
Five Estuaries has maintained two landfall zones since our first stage of consultation between Holland-On-Sea and Frinton-On-Sea. This is where the offshore export cable comes ashore and joins the onshore cables to transport energy to the onshore substation via underground cables.
The landfall areas shown in our Stage 2 Consultation were a southern area which passes under Holland Haven Park and a northern area which passes under Frinton Golf Course.
Five Estuaries have reached a decision to progress with the selection of the northern landfall zone, therefore removing the southern landfall from the application boundary for the following primary reasons:
- The northern landfall zone increases distance from non-breeding birds and breeding bird habitat. The northern corridor option carries a much lower risk of disturbance to breeding waders than the southern corridor option and therefore, the requirement for specific mitigation measures is likely to be lower.
- The selection of the northern landfall increases the distance to the closest sensitive noise receptor from approximately 300m to approximately 500/600m away.
The above refinements are early adjustments and over the coming months Five Estuaries will continue to refine our proposals using feedback and engaging with technical stakeholders to determine route refinements around the landfall zone and to establish the exact location of the substation within SSA West. We will also undertake further work on the design and build principles and associated landscaping in the proposed substation location.
We will also continue to work with North Falls and National Grid to coordinate on proposals. Regular updates will be provided to ensure that local communities and landowners are kept up to date as our plans progress. Should you have any questions please get in touch.
Get in Touch
If you have any questions about the Project, you can email us at fiveestuaries@rwe.com or call us on 0333 880 5306.