Vattenfall announcement

The Secretary of State for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy has awarded development consent for Vattenfall’s application to build Norfolk Vanguard Offshore Wind Farm.

Commenting on the decision by the Planning Inspectorate to award planning consent for Norfolk Vanguard Offshore Wind Farm, Gunnar Groebler, Senior Vice President for Vattenfall’s wind business, said:

“We’re delighted to receive planning consent for Norfolk Vanguard. This decision justifies the confidence that we have in the offshore wind sector in Britain, and we’re looking forward to developing the project and benefiting the local community.

“Vattenfall’s purpose is to power climate smarter living. Decarbonising our economies starts with one of the most essential resources – electricity. Today’s news sends a strong signal that the UK is serious about its climate ambitions and is open for business to power a green economic recovery.”

Danielle Lane, Country Manager and Head of Offshore Wind for Vattenfall in the UK, said:

“This is a great step forward in the battle against climate change, to increase jobs and skills in the East of England, and for the offshore wind industry as a whole.

“The Norfolk Vanguard Offshore Wind Farm will generate 1.8 gigawatts of clean electricity when built. That’s enough to power almost two million homes each year while saving over three million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions – the same as taking approximately 1.6 million cars off the road.

“Today is also great news for people living locally, who we’ve been working with over the last four years to develop this project. They can look forward to a multi-billion pound economic boost, bringing with it hundreds of new long-term jobs, driving forward a green revolution and helping to level up UK opportunities.

“It’s vital that other shovel-ready renewable and low-carbon projects are also given the go-ahead as soon as possible. Delays of even just a month or so can set back big infrastructure developments by years in some cases. The UK has to go much further, much faster, if it’s going to reach its net-zero targets.”

Norfolk Vanguard Facts

First power expected: Mid 2020s

Installed capacity: 1.8GW

Homes powered equivalent per annum: 1.95 million

Amount of CO2 saved: 3 million tonnese

Equivalent cars removed: 1.6 million

Geographical scale of offshore site area: 592.069km2

Distance of the nearest turbine from the shore: 47km

Landfall location: Happisburgh, Norfolk

Length of cabling onshore: 60km

Number of turbines: Between 90 and 180

Height of turbines to tip: Up to 350 metres

Individual turbine capacity: Confirmed when a turbine supplier is selected

Jobs created: Approximately 150 for Norfolk Vanguard and Norfolk Boreas combined once operational. Onshore construction more than 400 during peak.

Comparison to other large infrastructure: Hinkley Point C will be up to 2.4GW and Sizewell B is 1.198GW