The UK has approved the development of 1.2GW Rampion 2 Offshore Wind Farm project, set to be located off the Sussex coast.
The Development Consent Order (DCO) was granted by the UK Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero Ed Miliband, as part of the government’s Plan for Change. The approval paves the way for the construction of the wind farm, which is expected to generate enough renewable energy to power over one million UK homes.
Energy Security secretary Ed Miliband said: “The UK has a boundless supply of wind that cannot be turned on and off at the whims of dictators and petrostates.
“It’s time to get off the fossil fuel rollercoaster, roll out clean power, protect our energy security and bring down bills for good.
“This project puts us within reach of our clean power offshore wind target. Through our Plan for Change we’re getting on with delivering the clean energy and jobs Britain needs.”
Renewable energy company RWE is spearheading the development of Rampion 2 as an extension to the existing Rampion Offshore Wind Farm. The company holds 51% stake in the project, while a Macquarie-led consortium (25%) and Enbridge (24.9%) are the other partners.
The planned wind farm will feature up to 90 turbines and will include subsea cables routing power to the mainland, terminating at a new substation near Cowfold, before integration into the transmission network at Bolney, Mid Sussex.
The Rampion 2 project is anticipated to create approximately 4,000 jobs during the construction phase of the offshore turbines.
It is also positioned to enter a future Contract for Difference (CfD) auction, which is a critical step towards achieving a final Financial Investment Decision (FID) from the joint venture partners. Once the FID is reached, construction can commence, with the goal of the wind farm becoming operational by the end of the decade.
RWE is developing nine additional offshore wind projects in the UK, including Rampion 2.
Last month, the UK Government announced a more than £55m investment to expand the Port of Cromarty Firth in Scotland to support the floating offshore wind industry.
