Race Bank wind farm

Race Bank Wind Farm
Location of Race Bank Wind Farm in England
Country England, United Kingdom
Location 27 km off the coast of north Norfolk
Coordinates 53°16′34″N 0°50′28″E / 53.276°N 0.841°E / 53.276; 0.841Coordinates: 53°16′34″N 0°50′28″E / 53.276°N 0.841°E / 53.276; 0.841
Status consented
Wind farm
Type Offshore
Max. water depth 26 m
Distance from shore 32 km
Rotor diameter 154 m
Power generation
Make and model Siemens 6MW
Units planned 91
Nameplate capacity up to 580 MW
Website
Race Bank (Dong Energy)

Race Bank Wind Farm is a proposed 580 MW Round 2 offshore wind farm located 27 km north of Blakeney Point off the coast of Norfolk, and 28 km east of Chapel St Leonards off the Lincolnshire coast in the North Sea.

History

Planning

In 2002 the UK government designated the Greater Wash strategic area as potential offshore wind farm development region.[1] In 2004, Centrica was awarded a lease by The Crown Estate during the Round 2 wind farm leasing process to develop a wind farm on Race Bank. The wind farm site was located on a sandbank approximately 27 kilometres (17 mi) north of the north Norfolk coast, and 28 kilometres (17 mi) east of the Lincolnshire coast, with an estimated maximum capacity of 620 MW. The scheme was developed in association with AMEC and the RES Group. The wind farm was to connect to the National Grid at Walpole, together with two of Centrica's other Round 2 wind farms, Lincs Wind Farm and Docking Shoal Wind Farm.[2][note 1]

In 2009 Centrica submitted a planning consent application for a wind farm of up 620 MW capacity.[4] The proposed wind farm covered an area of 75 square kilometres (29 sq mi) at water depths of 4 to 22 metres (13 to 72 ft).[5]

In July 2012 the government gave planning approval for Centrica to construct a wind farm to the capacity of 580 MW.[6]

In November 2013 the project failed to be shortlisted for early contract for difference subsidies from the Department of Energy and Climate Change, putting the future of the project in doubt; in December 2013, Centrica sold the project to DONG Energy for £50 million.[7][8]

As of May 2014, Dong Energy estimated that onshore construction will begin in spring 2015 at the earliest, followed by offshore construction in spring 2016.[9]

In late 2014 Dong applied for a variation of the original (2009) planning consent, substituting two larger offshore substations for the three originally consented.[10] The new substations were to use improved technology and export electrical power at up to 220kV AC.[11] The new substations were to be supported on four legged jacket foundations secured to the sea floor with pin piles;[12] as a consequence of the change the number of export cables was to be reduced to two.[13] The Department of Energy and Climate Change consented the changes in March 2015.[14]

In June 2014 Dong committed to building the wind farm, which was to receive subsidies under the Renewables Obligation scheme (1.8 ROCs per MWh).[15][16]

Construction

Contracts for the construction were let from 2015: Turnkey supply and installation of electrical equipment for the farm was awarded to RXPE (China);[17] NKT (Cologne) was awarded the contract for the 220kV export cables;[18] the 36kV inter array cabling supply was contracted to JDR (Hartlepool);[19] steel foundations to Bilfinger subsidiary Bilfinger Mars Offshore;[20] and an order for 91 6 MW 154 m Siemens Wind turbines was confirmed in mid-2015.[21]

The turbines will be installed in waters of depth 6 to 26 metres (20 to 85 ft).[22]

In July 2015 MMT was contracted to clear the cable route of possible unexploded ordnance.[23] Over 40 second world war bombs were located along the cable export route, which were either removed or destroyed in situ.[24]

Notes

  1. ↑ Lincs, Docking Shoal and Race Bank wind farms were to share the same onshore cable export route, and onshore substation.[1] The environmental statement for the onshore works was submitted as part of the Lincs Wind Farm application.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 Race Bank - ES Non-technical Summary (January 2009) p.3
  2. ↑ Race Bank project history (Centrica)
  3. ↑ "Lincs Offshore Wind Farm Environmental Statement : Non-Technical Summary" (PDF), www.centrica.com, January 2007, pp. 3, 5, 11
  4. ↑ Centrica seeks consent for Race Bank offshore wind farm (PDF) (press release), Centrica, 23 January 2009
  5. ↑ Race Bank - ES Non-technical Summary (January 2009) p.4
  6. ↑ "Wind farms off East coast approved by government", BBC News Norfolk, 6 July 2012
  7. ↑ "Norfolk Race Bank wind farm sold to DONG Energy for £50m", BBC News Norfolk, 13 December 2013
  8. ↑ "Dong buys troubled Race Bank offshore windfarm from Centrica", utilityweek.co.uk, 13 December 2013
  9. ↑ Race Bank (project update) (Dong Energy, May 2014), p.4
  10. ↑ The Electricity Generating Stations (Variation of Consents) (England and Wales) Regulations 2013 ("the 2013 Regulations") (PDF) (communication), Dong Energy, 10 December 2014
  11. ↑ Section 36 variation 2014, §1.3.1.
  12. ↑ Section 36 variation, environmental information 2014, § 1.23, 1.3.1-1.3.3.
  13. ↑ Section 36 variation, environmental information 2014, Table 3.1, pp.27-29.
  14. ↑ Race Bank Section 36 Variation, Dong Energy, retrieved 15 February 2016
  15. ↑ "Dong Energy to build Race Bank offshore wind farm", Grimsby Telegraph, 24 June 2015
  16. ↑ DONG Energy to build Race Bank Offshore Wind Farm in the UK (press release), Dong Energy, 24 June 2015
  17. ↑ "Chinese double up with Dong", renews.biz, 27 March 2015
  18. ↑ "NKT to Start Fabricating Race Bank’s Export Cables", www.offshorewind.biz, 24 June 2015
  19. ↑ "JDR in Charge of Race Bank’s Inter-Array Cables", www.offshorewind.biz, 24 June 2014
  20. ↑ "Bilfinger Wins the Race", www.offshorewind.biz, 8 June 2015
  21. ↑ "Siemens 1.2GW monster order", renews.biz, 3 July 2015
  22. ↑ "Siemens wins turbine supply contract for Race Bank offshore wind project in UK". power-technology.com. Retrieved 6 July 2015.
  23. ↑ "Race Bank win for MMT", renews.biz, 27 July 2015
  24. ↑ "Explosions at Dong Energy's Race Bank wind farm site as WWII bombs are safely detonated - video", Grimsby Telegraph, 15 October 2015

Sources

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