The Electrical System Operator (ESO) for the National Grid has revealed its recommended design for a system to connect floating offshore wind platforms with the capacity to for up to 4.5GW of renewable energy.
Published in Beyond 2030: Celtic Sea, it is claimed that the system could provide enough green energy to power over four million UK homes.
The recommended design connects up to 3GW into two locations in South Wales, and up to 1.5GW into the South West of England, with each of the three proposed offshore wind farms having its own connection to the onshore electricity network.
The proposals are for one high voltage direct current (HVDC) connection into a potential new South Wales Connection Node, and two connections utilising high voltage alternating current (HVAC) technology into Carmarthenshire and North Devon.
Julian Leslie, ESO’s director of strategic energy planning and chief engineer, said: “Offshore wind is vital to achieving the government’s target for clean power by 2030, sustaining energy security and achieving net zero by 2050, so it is a really positive development that this is the first time an offshore wind leasing round will have been launched with a recommended high-level network design in place.
“We have undertaken a rigorous process, in consultation with a range of stakeholders, to design the network needed to connect enough renewable capacity to power four million homes. Our proposal has additional potential as a catalyst for coordination with future green energy developments in South Wales and South West England into the future.”
A number of shortlisted designs were rigorously assessed against four design objectives – impact on local communities and the environment, cost to the consumer, deliverability, and operability – allowing the ESO to arrive at a recommended design that it says carefully balances these considerations.
The recommendation are said to present less impact on the environment and community than others that were considered during the design process, and no new overhead lines are indicated to connect the offshore wind.
Celtic crown
Proposals also make good use of the current wider transmission infrastructure compared to other options, and – in the case of Carmarthenshire and North Devon – recommend regions with an already identified need for a substation, or an already-proposed substation (for example Llandyfaelog in Carmarthenshire).
According to ESO, this alignment with other infrastructure needs could lead to a more coordinated approach to locating new substations.
Meanwhile, the proposals are said to be an enabler of The Crown Estate’s Celtic Sea Floating Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5; a 4.5 GW of floating offshore wind power that will connect directly into the transmission network – claimed to be one of the largest floating wind initiatives in the world.
Research indicates that Leasing Round 5 and the associated supply chain could create 5,300 permanent jobs during the construction phase of the projects, and drive up to £1.4bn of economic activity.
Leslie added:“We are committed to delivering the clean, secure, decarbonised electricity system as set out by Government and Devolved Governments, through working collaboratively across all parts of the energy sector, government, the regulator and within our communities across Great Britain.”
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