Rampion 2 Wind Farm extension opens informal consultation

The Rampion 2 team has launched a four-week informal consultation this week [January 14], to raise awareness and seek feedback on their initial proposals to expand the Rampion Wind Farm off the Sussex coast.

A full and formal consultation will follow later in the year, ahead of submission of a development consent application to build the new, clean energy infrastructure project.

Depending on the final scheme, Rampion 2 could create clean, renewable electricity to power over one million homes in the UK and reduce carbon emissions by around 1.8 million tonnes per year, in addition to Rampion’s existing generation.

In autumn last year, it was announced that an offshore ‘Area of Search’ was being assessed for a maximum of up to 116 turbines, the same number as the existing Rampion Offshore Wind Farm. The results of technical and environmental surveys and stakeholder feedback will be used to identify the optimum site for the new wind farm, which will be located somewhere within this area.

A subsea export cable is proposed to bring the power ashore under Climping beach, with an underground onshore cable route required to bring the power inland to connect to the national transmission grid at Bolney, where three potential sites are being considered for a new substation.

“For the past 18 months, we have undertaken a series of desktop studies and site surveys to establish the physical lay of the land. We have also been talking with many local authorities, MPs, parish councils and experts on wildlife, environment, transport, geology, archaeology, business and fishing,” said Chris Tomlinson, Development & Stakeholder Manager, Rampion 2.

“We will use the results of our investigations and stakeholder engagement to identify the best possible sites for the onshore and offshore project elements, while minimising disturbance to the local community and environment in delivering this vital green energy project.

“At this early stage, we would very much welcome feedback from the Sussex community so that we are aware of all local issues, concerns and constraints as we prepare more detailed proposals for a formal public consultation later this year.”

The development will build on the expertise and learnings from the original Rampion project to ensure best practice, maximising the positive environmental and economic benefits, while mitigating impacts on wildlife and the community and minimising inconvenience during construction.

A ‘virtual village hall’ exhibition experience has gone live at www.rampion2.com for people to find out more and to share their views and any local information they think may be important for the project design. Online visitors can tour the exhibition to study maps and charts, watch a video flying over the onshore cable route options, find out how the operating Rampion Wind Farm was built, or arrange a virtual meeting with members of the Project Team to ask more detailed questions.

Formal public consultation on detailed proposals will take place in mid-2021 prior to further refinements of final proposals which will form the basis of the Rampion 2 development consent application, planned to be submitted late in 2021. If consent is awarded, construction would begin 2025/26 at the earliest with a view to having a completed, operational project before the end of the decade, contributing to Government targets to secure clean, green energy supplies and tackle climate change.

Rampion is the only wind farm off the south coast of England and this densely populated region is where much of the electricity demand is concentrated. The cost of offshore wind has halved in just two to three years and is now cheaper than nuclear and coal, while creating tens of thousands of jobs nationwide. The UK leads the world in offshore wind and the government is committed to quadrupling offshore wind capacity to 40 gigawatts (GW) by 2030. Rampion 2 can make a major contribution to this target.

Rampion 2 is being developed by RWE, one of the UK’s most established and experienced renewable energy producers, number two globally for offshore wind and a world leader in renewable energy production. It is developing the project on behalf of a joint venture company including a Macquarie-led consortium (comprising Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 5, the Green Investment Group and the Universities Superannuation Scheme) and Enbridge (a leading North American energy infrastructure company), together with owners of the existing Rampion offshore Wind Farm and they have signed an Agreement for Lease with The Crown Estate (managers of the seabed) securing an option to develop on the site.

END

Media enquiries: Paula Seager, Natural PR, Email: paula@naturalpr.biz or Tel: 01273 857242

 

Editors Notes re: Rampion 2 Offshore Wind Farm:

Potential to supply over 1 million UK homes1 with clean renewable electricity, reduce carbon emissions by around 1.8 million tonnes2 per year and create green sector jobs and investment.

Assessing an Area of Search off the Sussex coast to identify a suitable site for up to 116 new wind turbines, and assess an onshore Area of Search to identify a route for underground cables to connect the power to the National Grid.

Formal public consultation on draft proposals in mid-2021 prior to submission of final proposals. If consent awarded, construction to begin 2025 at the earliest.

 

Rampion 2 Offshore Wind Farm

Rampion 2 is being developed by a joint venture company owned by RWE Renewables (50.1%), a Macquarie-led consortium  (comprising Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 5, the Green Investment Group and the Universities Superannuation Scheme) (25.0%) and Enbridge (24.9%). RWE Renewables is developing the project on behalf of the joint venture.

The project site is adjacent to the existing Rampion Offshore Wind Farm around 13km from the Sussex coastline and could feature up to 116 wind turbines (the maximum number of turbines has been capped at the same number as at the existing wind farm). Further details can be found at www.rampionoffshore.com

RWE Renewables

RWE Renewables, the newest subsidiary of the RWE Group, is one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies. With around 3,500 employees, the company has onshore and offshore wind farms, photovoltaic plants and battery storage facilities with a combined capacity of approximately 9 gigawatts. RWE Renewables is driving the expansion of renewable energy in more than 15 countries on four continents. By the end of 2022, RWE Renewables targets to invest €5 billion net in renewable energy and to grow its renewables portfolio to 13 gigawatts of net capacity. Beyond this, the company plans to further grow in wind and solar power. The focus is on the Americas, the core markets in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.

Macquarie-led consortium

The Macquarie-led consortium supporting Rampion 2 comprises Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 5, Macquarie’s Green Investment Group and Universities Superannuation Scheme.

Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 5 is a long-term infrastructure fund managed by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, one of the world’s leading alternative asset managers. Macquarie’s Green Investment Group is a specialist in green infrastructure principal investment, project development and delivery, green impact advisory and the management of portfolio assets. Both businesses form part of Macquarie Group Limited – a diversified financial group providing clients with asset management and finance, banking, advisory and risk and capital solutions across debt, equity and commodities. Founded in 1969, Macquarie employs more than 16,000 people in 31 markets. For further information, please visit Macquarie.com

USS is the largest private pension fund in the United Kingdom with £75 billion under management (as of August 2020). It has over 400,000 individual members working at more than 340 higher education institutions. Through its Private Markets Group, USS invests extensively in infrastructure such as ports, utilities, and green energy.

Enbridge Inc.

Enbridge Inc. (TSX:ENB)(NYSE:ENB) is a leading North American energy infrastructure company. We safely and reliably deliver the energy people need and want to fuel quality of life. Our core businesses include Liquids Pipelines, which transports approximately 25 percent of the crude oil produced in North America; Gas Transmission and Midstream, which transports approximately 20 percent of the natural gas consumed in the U.S.; Gas Distribution and Storage, which serves approximately 3.8 million retail customers in Ontario and Quebec; and Renewable Power Generation, which generates approximately 1,750 MW of net renewable power in North America and Europe. The Company’s common shares trade on the Toronto and New York stock exchanges under the symbol ENB. For more information, visit www.enbridge.com.

Editor's notes

  1. based on an average annual domestic household electricity consumption of 3,618 kWh (BEIS, Dec 2019)
  2. the calculation made using a static figure of 446g/kWh representing the energy mix in the UK (BEIS, July 2020)
Skip to content