The team behind the White Cross offshore windfarm have now 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.
Earlier this year, North Devon Council requested further environmental information be provided to enable them to consider White Cross’ planning application, following consultation in 2023. This new information has now been submitted and will now be the subject of 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:
- The results of new ecological surveys and assessments
- Additional assessments and reports covering the cable route and landfall
- An updated programme of works and methodology covering both public safety, car park and traffic considerations, and for landfall construction
- Independent reviews of the site selection assessments for the project’s landfall point, cable corridor and substation site.
”Windfarms like White Cross are vital to help secure the UK’s future energy demands, reducing carbon emissions to tackle the climate crisis. White Cross will not only produce enough renewable electricity to power over 135,000 households, it will also an instrumental in proving the viability of future floating offshore wind developments in the Celtic Sea.
“Taking care of the environment around Saunton Sands, Braunton and East Yelland is a top priority for us. We want to be transparent about our plans and work with the community while we connect the turbines to the grid. Providing this updated information is the latest stage of that process, and we hope it will enable North Devon Council and the Marine Management Organisation to make an informed decision.”
“The success of White Cross and similar projects provides significant opportunities for the UK to unlock the associated economic benefits whilst also tackling climate change. It also helps secure the UK’s continued position as a world leader in offshore wind development.”
Al RaynerWhite Cross Project Director
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.
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)