SSE welcomes the development consent granted by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero for the 57-turbine offshore array for North Falls Offshore Wind Farm.
North Falls is being developed as a 50/50 joint venture by SSE Renewables and RWE Offshore Wind (RWE) and is a proposed extension to the southern array of the existing operational 504 megawatt (MW) Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm. Greater Gabbard is also a 50/50 joint venture between SSE and RWE, with SSE operating the wind farm on behalf of the joint venture partners.
North Falls’ Development Consent Order (DCO) allows for the construction of up to 57 offshore wind turbines and their associated foundations, and up to two offshore substation platforms and their associated foundations – all located within a 90-square-kilometre offshore Project area approximately 40 kilometres from the East Anglia coast at its nearest point. The project has a maximum generation export capacity of up to 1GW and, following the publication last year of The Crown Estate’s Capacity Increase Programme, a potential installed capacity of up to 900MW.
The delivery of North Falls is subject to the project securing a route to market and final investment decisions by the joint venture shareholders in line with their respective investment returns criteria.