Outer Dowsing selects cable route for offshore wind farm and updates on potential substation location

The joint venture between TotalEnergies, Corio Generation and Gulf Energy Developments will provide enough electricity to power 1.6 million homes in the South East of England.

Outer Downing announced the decision they had chosen a cable route for Lincolnshire after a follow-up appraisal of a consultation by National Grid ESO that closed in July.

Over 400 people across East Lindsey, Boston and South Holland attended five consultation events and many more have sent in their feedback.

Thousands more households as well as MPs, councillors and other consultees were also informed.

Two options were considered – the Lincolnshire Connection Node along a route east of the A52 including Huttoft and Anderby to Skegness, Wainfleet and Butterwick – and Weston Marsh. ,

A statement reads: “We are now able to confirm that we will no longer pursue the Lincolnshire Node connection option for the Outer Dowsing Offshore Wind project.

"We will continue development activities at the remaining two potential study areas for the substation location, one in the Surfleet Marsh area (previously referred to as Weston Marsh North) and one in the Weston Marsh area (previously referred to as Weston Marsh South).

"Based on the outcome of surveys and consultations, we can also confirm that we will reach the connection point via the cable route labelled 1a (the route further away from the coast, west of the A52). Outer Dowsing will cease development activities along the cable route 1 option (the route closer to the coast, east of the A52).

Coun Graham Fisher, chairman of Anderby Parish, “I am pleased the National Grid has seen sense and decided to not dig up our beautiful countryside.”

However, Economy portfolio holder at LCC, Coun Colin Davie said the county was still under threat of 50m pylons being used.

Outer Dowsing has said it will take the feedback gained in the consultation and work with the transmission owner, National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET), as it carries out further design assessments in the area, to prepare for a consultation in the autumn to help inform the design for our final consent application.

"Whilst the announcement the Outer Dowsing connected point will be at Weston Marsh this does not mean it will not cause huge disruption fot many years," said Coun Davie.

"The proposal to have compounds every few miles is not something I can support, especially as Triton Knoll only required two.

"Now the announcement has been made we will look to work with the company to ensure any impacts are mitigated and reduced to an appropriatec level.

"I still however believe bringing this cables onshore is shortsighted and a better solution would be to create an offshore grid of giant underground cables taking power to the South East.”

Outer Dowsing are still able to address questions on the project. These should be directed to [email protected]