The team behind the White Cross Offshore Windfarm project have submitted further environmental information to support their application to North Devon Council and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO).
White Cross Offshore Windfarm Limited, a joint venture between Cobra and Flotation Energy, is seeking consent from North Devon Council and the MMO to construct and operate a 100MW floating offshore windfarm and for works to connect the windfarm to the grid.
The proposed windfarm, located 52km off the North Devon coast, will consist of 6 to 8 state-of-the-art floating wind turbines and when operational, generate enough clean electricity to power around 135,000 households.
In 2024, North Devon Council requested further environmental information be provided to enable them to consider White Cross’ planning application, following consultation in 2023 and submission of additional environmental information in 2024. This new information has now been submitted and separate formal consultations by North Devon Council and the MMO, which are now live on their organisational websites.
The additional information which has now been submitted includes:
- Additional bat activity survey data
- An updated Cable Burial Risk Assessment
- An updated Outline Drainage Strategy
- A Wave and Beach Erosion Modelling Conclusions report
- A Flood Risk Assessment Addendum relating to the onshore substation site
”With a nominal capacity of 100 MW, once operational the White Cross Offshore Windfarm will provide enough energy to power over 135,000 households. White Cross is also an essential test and demonstration project that will enable future floating offshore wind developments in the Celtic Sea.
We remain committed to the White Cross project, and the project team have been continuing to engage with the appropriate statutory consultees. We submitted further information to North Devon Council and the Marine Management Organisation before Christmas, as requested, and this will shortly be the subject of another period of public consultation.
A spokesperson for the White Cross Offshore Windfarm
The windfarm cabling will make landfall at the northern end of Saunton Sands beach near the car park. The connection will be via underground cabling which will then run under the golf course before turning south, going under the Taw Estuary and connecting to the grid at East Yelland.
The opportunity presented by floating offshore wind for the UK and specifically the South West of England is extensive and well documented. White Cross is a stepping stone project that is pivotal to the Crown Estate’s ambitions to scale-up and commercialise floating energy technologies in the Celtic Sea.
The project will play a key role in supporting the growth of a regional supply chain in the South West of England, whilst also creating new jobs and skills for local communities.
The project supports the UK Government’s target to deliver 5 GW of energy from floating offshore wind by 2035, alongside wider decarbonisation and energy security targets. The information submitted is in addition to the consent applications submitted in 2023, and further information submitted in 2024.
The formal consultation process is now live. Those wishing to comment on the further environmental information can do so via the appropriate authority’s application portal.
Comments on the onshore information should be made to North Devon Council and comments on the offshore information should be made to the MMO.
The full onshore application can be viewed on the North Devon Council planning portal: Planning application: 77576 – Council Services (northdevon.gov.uk)
The full offshore application can be viewed via the MMOs public register (case reference: MLA/2022/00113):
https://marinelicensing.marinemanagement.org.uk/mmofox5/fox/live/MMO_PUBLIC_REGISTER/search?area=3
The full Environmental Statement for both applications can also be viewed on our website here Documents – Whitecross (whitecrossoffshorewind.com)