The UK government has approved the 1.2GW extension to the Rampion wind farm project offshore Sussex.
A development consent order has been issued by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, Ed Miliband.
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Rampion 2 is an extension of the existing Rampion offshore wind farm. It is being developed by a joint venture comprising RWE as the majority shareholder (50.1%), a Macquarie-led consortium (25%) and Enbridge (24.9%).
RWE secured a lease agreement for the extension of the Rampion project in September 2020.
The development will include the construction of 90 wind turbines, with the potential to power the equivalent of one million UK homes.
Electricity generated offshore will be transported via subsea cables that come ashore at Climping Beach. From there, an underground cable will carry the power inland to a new substation at Oakendene near Cowfold, then connect to the national transmission grid at Bolney in mid Sussex.
RWE director of offshore wind development UK and Ireland Danielle Lane stated: “We are delighted to receive the development consent order for the proposed Rampion 2 offshore wind farm. This is a key milestone in the development of the project, as Rampion 2 can play an important role in helping secure the UK’s energy supplies from our abundant wind resource and play a key role in supporting the UK government’s clean power ambitions.”
The project’s next major phase will be the financial investment decision by the joint venture partners, which will pave the way for construction to commence.
Rampion 2 will become operational by the end of the 2020s and is eligible for participation in a future contract for difference auction.
Rampion 2 project lead Umair Patel stated: “This is great news for Rampion 2 and for Sussex, as the wind farm could generate around three-quarters of all the electricity demands for the whole of [the county] and help generate jobs during both construction and operation.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Sussex community for their input over the past four years, helping us to refine and adapt the proposals to create the best possible project for this site, for the community and the environment.”
RWE operates ten offshore wind farms in the UK and is developing nine more, including Rampion 2. These projects represent a combined potential generation capacity of 10.5GW, with RWE’s pro rata share amounting to 7.5GW.
