Morgan and Morecambe Offshore Wind Farms: Transmission Assets project announces plans for statutory consultation

We are pleased to announce that the statutory consultation for the Morgan and Morecambe Offshore Wind Farms: Transmission Assets (‘the project’) will launch on 12 October 2023. This will be the third round of consultation on the project, following an introductory non-statutory consultation in autumn 2022 and a non-statutory consultation in summer 2023.

The statutory consultation will follow the publication of the Preliminary Environmental Information Report (‘PEIR’) for the project, which sets out the potential impacts likely to give rise to environmental effects from and to the project, along with our proposals to mitigate them. The consultation will run from Thursday 12 October 2023 to Thursday 23 November 2023.

We will be seeking feedback on various aspects of the project, which will help inform its design. The project with comprise both permanent and temporary infrastructure including but not limited to:

• Offshore infrastructure including, offshore export cables, offshore substation platform(s), interconnector cables and a Morgan offshore booster station
• Onshore infrastructure which will take electricity from the landfall (where the offshore cables reach the shore) to the electricity transmission network. To do this, we will need to install onshore export cables to the two new onshore substations, and onward connections to the existing National Grid substation at Penwortham, Lancashire.

Those wanting to find out more about the project have the option to attend one of our upcoming consultation events, which will take place during the consultation period set out above. These events are a great way to learn more about our project, meet the project team and ask any questions.

Transmission Assets project events

Consultation events – These are drop-in events. There will be printed materials and members of the Transmission Assets project team there to talk to and find out more.

• Thu 26 Oct, 3pm – 7pm at Newton, Salwick & Clifton Village Hall, Vicarage Lane, Newton-with-Scales PR4 3RU
• Fri 3 Nov, 3pm – 7pm at St Anne’s Cricket Club, Vernon Road, Lytham St Annes FY8 2RQ
• Fri 10 Nov, 3pm – 7pm at Fylde Rugby Club, Woodlands Memorial Ground, Blackpool Road, Ansdell, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, FY8 4EL
• Sat 11 Nov, 10am – 1pm at William Segar Hodgson Pavilion, Coronation Rd, Kirkham, Preston PR4 2HE
• Thu 16 Nov, 3pm – 7pm at Douglas Borough Council, Town Hall, Ridgeway Street, Douglas, Isle of Man IM99 1AD

Pop up events – These are smaller-scale events in areas of high footfall, but still a great way to meet the Transmission Assets project team and ask any questions you may have.

• Thu 2 Nov, 9am – 1pm at St Anne’s Farmers Market, St Annes Road West, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, FY8 1SB
• Sat 4 Nov, 9am – 1pm at Penwortham Farmers’ Market, Queensway, Penwortham, PR1 0DS

Webinar – Additionally, those who would rather engage with the team online, or cannot make it along to an in-person event, can register to attend our online webinar from 12 October at https://morecambeandmorgan.com/transmission/

• Mon 6 Nov, 6pm – 7pm Transmission webinar (online)

The Morgan Offshore Wind Project and the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm are two proposed offshore wind farms being developed in the Irish Sea. The two projects are collaborating to connect the offshore wind farms to the national grid via the Morgan and Morecambe Offshore Wind Farms: Transmission Assets project.

The two offshore wind farms are expected to make a key contribution to the UK’s target of generating 50 GW of power from offshore wind by 2030. Combined, they have the potential to generate almost 2 GW of energy – enough to power the equivalent of approximately two million homes.

Further information on the consultation – including copies of the Preliminary Environmental Information Report (PEIR) – will be published on 12 October 2023 on the project website at https://morecambeandmorgan.com/transmission/.