Dogger Bank: Plans for 2.4GW of offshore wind capacity scrapped

The project developer Forewind announced that plans for the final two parts of the project have been scrapped. Forewind said it was shelving the 2.4GW Dogger Bank Teesside C and D plans in order to focus on the first four projects.

The rights to develop that area of seabed, along with the remainder of the Dogger Bank Zone, have been returned to The Crown Estate.

The announcement comes just days after the company received planning permission for Dogger Bank Teesside A and B, which will feature 400 wind turbines off the North East coast of England.

The first two farms – Dogger Bank Creyke Beck A and B near the Humberside region – were given the green light by the Government back in February.

The company said in a statement: “These four Dogger Bank projects are a huge commitment and will require significant resources and attention from the owner companies to progress to the next stages. Together their capacity is almost equal to the total of all the offshore wind farms currently in operation in the UK.”

Industry figures have suggested that the uncertainty surrounding the Contracts for Difference subsidy scheme for large-scale renewables contributed to the decision.

Navitus Bay

In related news today, fellow offshore wind developer Navitus Bay has returned 571 km² of seabed to the Crown Estate.

The developer is still planning to go ahead with a 121-turbine windfarm off the coast of Dorset and Hampshire, but says this latest move is a sign that it doesn’t plan to expand the project which has been frequently criticised by Bournemouth council.

The rest of the project is still awaiting planning permission from DECC.

Bournemouth Council said the announcement was a smokescreen designed to draw attention away from the environmental issues with the project.

Bournemouth Borough Council leader John Beesley said: “Navitus Bay wants to develop one of the most environmentally sensitive parts of the seabed with a vast wind farm that is too close to shore and will severely damage the sensitive natural coastline and local economy.”

Brad Allen