2009, Npower, Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm, Final Environmental Assessment Scoping Report

Description

npower renewables (NRL) is proposing to develop an offshore wind farm in the Greater Wash Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) region, off the coasts of North Norfolk and Lincolnshire. The proposed project, known as Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm (OWF), would be located approximately 33 km off the Lincolnshire coast and 46 km off the North Norfolk coast. The project could comprise between 200 and 333 wind turbines, and would have a total generating capacity of up to 1200 megawatts (MW). The initial Triton Knoll project area was selected as a suitable development site due a number of key attributes, including an excellent wind resource, a reasonably flat seabed in relatively shallow waters and seabed properties suitable for existing foundation technologies,. The project lies outside any designated areas and a strong electrical infrastructure exists relatively close to the coast.
Following the initial award of the site by the Crown Estate, NRL carried out a more detailed review of the constraints (biological, physical and human) acting on the site. Following this review NRL identified that the original Triton Knoll site was likely to have potential significant effects on commercial shipping routes, helicopter access buffers to oil and gas platforms to the north of the site and a helicopter main route which traverses north of the site. Re-evaluation of the site using experiences from development of the Gwynt y Mor OWF off the North Wales coast, concluded that the effects of the constraints identified above could be addressed, and that the Triton Knoll site in an amended form did offer a substantial development opportunity. The boundaries of the Triton Knoll area, as now proposed, have been developed principally to mitigate the potential impacts of the site on shipping and navigation. The purpose of this offshore scoping report is to build on consultation carried out to date on the Triton Knoll OWF project and to seek opinion from a wide range of statutory and non-statutory consultees and stakeholders on the scope of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) required for the offshore works for Triton Knoll.