Cumulative Impact

There are now FIVE CONFIRMED ENERGY PROJECTS PLANNED TO CONNECT TO THE GRID IN THE SIZEWELL TO FRISTON AREA.   That is, East Anglia One North Offshore Wind Farm (EA1N), East Anglia Two Offshore Wind Farm (EA2), Nautilus Interconnector, Eurolink Interconnector and now Sea Link Interconnector. (Scroll down for further information on these projects).  The sad reality is this is just the beginning.  It is widely believed that SCD2 Interconnector, North Falls Offshore Wind Farm and Five Estuaries Offshore Wind Farm could follow. With the addition of Sizewell C Nuclear Power Station, this will become the largest complex of energy infrastructure in the UK.  An energy hub on an enormous scale.  The substations planned for ScottishPower Renewables (SPR’s) projects alone are nearly three times the size of Wembley Stadium.

We are beginning to see the true extent of National Grid’s plans for rural East Suffolk.  The cumulative adverse impacts of these projects are devastating:

• Multiple landfalls on a fragile coastline of coralline crag (which is sand-based and already crumbling) near Thorpeness.
• Multiple cable routes to run for approximately 9 km through the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), the Leiston-Aldeburgh SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest), the Sandlings SPA (Special Protected Area) and multiple villages to connect to the National Grid at an energy hub located in the heart of the ancient village of Friston in rural Suffolk.
• Research commissioned by the Suffolk Coast Destination Management Organisation (DMO), suggests that new energy projects on the Suffolk coastline could damage one of the UK’s most successful nature based tourism centres by up to £40 million per annum. This will crucially lead to loss of jobs in hospitality and other tourist related businesses.
• Intolerable noise pollution, light pollution and air pollution to local communities, wildlife and livestock.

It is needless destruction when it is clear that there are more appropriate brownfield or industrialised sites such as Grain, which are better aligned with the government’s environmental policy AND wind energy policy.

Despite repeated requests from the Inspectors and Interested Parties, SPR NEVER PROVIDED A COMPLETE CUMULATIVE IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF ENERGY PROJECTS PLANNED FOR THE IMMEDIATE AREA.  They claimed that “there remains insufficient information to undertake the assessment requested.”  This argument is not credible when one considers the evidence in the public domain on these projects.

1. East Anglia One North (EA1N) Offshore Wind Farm, ScottishPower Renewables

An offshore wind farm which could consist of up to 67 turbines, generators and associated infrastructure, with an installed capacity of up to 800MW, located 36km from Lowestoft and 42km from Southwold. From landfall the cables will be routed underground to an onshore substation at Friston, which will in turn connect into the national electricity grid via a National Grid substation and cable sealing end compounds, the latter to be owned and operated by National Grid.We have not given up

As of early evening on 31 March 2022, ScottishPower Renewables East Anglia One North and East Anglia Two offshore wind projects have been consented.  For those who would like to read more the Decision and the Examining Authority’s Report are linked here.

SEAS has now issued an application for judicial review seeking that the decisions of the Secretary of State are quashed on the basis that they were taken unlawfully. This is likely to be decided by the courts later this year.

Resources

• • • • SEAS ScottishPower EA1N/2 Webpage
      • The Planning Inspectorate’s EA1N Webpage: The Planning Inspectorate’s Examination has ended.
      • ScottishPower Renewables EA1N Webpage

2. East Anglia Two (EA2) Offshore Wind Farm, ScottishPower Renewables

An offshore wind farm which could consist of up to 75 turbines, generators and associated infrastructure, with an installed capacity of up to 900MW, located 37km from Lowestoft and 32km from Southwold. From landfall, the cables will be routed underground to an onshore substation at Friston which will in turn connect into the national electricity grid via a National Grid substation and cable sealing end compounds, the latter to be owned and operated by National Grid.

As of early evening on 31 March 2022, ScottishPower Renewables East Anglia One North and East Anglia Two offshore wind projects have been consented.  For those who would like to read more the Decision and the Examining Authority’s Report are linked here.

SEAS has now issued an application for judicial review seeking that the decisions of the Secretary of State are quashed on the basis that they were taken unlawfully. This is likely to be decided by the courts later this year.

Resources

• • • • SEAS ScottishPower EA1N/2 Webpage
      • The Planning Inspectorate’s EA2 Webpage:  The Planning Inspectorate’s Examination has ended.
      • ScottishPower Renewables EA2 Webpage

National Grid Substation

Within ScottishPower’s applications for EA1N and EA2 there is an ADDITIONAL National Grid Substation.  If EA1N and EA2 are approved it will mean THREE substations, an excess of 35 acres of land for infrastructure and an area of over 100 acres for screening or quite possibly further offshore wind substation development.

3. Nautilus Interconnector, National Grid Ventures

Nautilus Interconnector is a proposed second Interconnector between Great Britain and Belgium. It would create a new 1.4 gigawatts (GW) high voltage direct current (HVDC) electricity link between the transmission systems of these two countries. The project would involve the construction of a converter station in each country (24 metres high in the case of Suffolk) and the installation of offshore and onshore underground direct current cables (HVDC) between each converter station and underground alternating current cables (HVAC) between the converter station and substation.  In the UK, the offer from National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) allows for a connection of a new 400kV substation located close to the Sizewell 400kV network.

The current NGET substation location being promoted is Friston.The recently published proposals by National Grid Ventures (NGV) concerning Nautilus Interconnector combined with the planning applications for ScottishPower Renewables (SPR) East Anglia One North (EA1N) and East Anglia Two (EA2) offshore wind projects reveal the hard evidence that Suffolk Coast and Heaths is in grave danger of mass industrialisation. The onshore devastation can be seen all too clearly on this map which shows kilometres of additional cable corridors gouging through our protected landscapes and a further converter station looming 24 metres high and concreting over an additional 12 acres of greenbelt land.   If we can’t stop Scottish Power’s EA1N and EA2 DCO application or obtain a ‘Split Decision’ it will open the flood gates, Nautilus being the first to follow on.

Resources

• • • • SEAS Nautilus Webpage: 
      • The Planning Inspectorate’s Nautilus Webpage:  The Application is at the pre-application stage with NGV having made initial consultations with local communities. The application is expected to be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in the second quarter of 2023.
      • National Grid Ventures, Nautilus Webpage:

4.  Eurolink Interconnector, National Grid Ventures

EuroLink is a proposal to build a High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission cable between the UK and the Netherlands.  The capacity of the link will be 1400 MW.  No consultations for Eurolink have yet been carried out but are due to begin this year.

Resources

• • • • National Grid Ventures, Eurolink Webpage

5. Sea Link Interconnector (SCD1), National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET)

It is dispiriting to report that NGET has recently confirmed their intention to connect Sea Link into the ‘Sizewell Area’.  Sea Link is a new offshore HVDC link between Suffolk and Kent, the purpose of which is to take the power brought in by EA1N/2, Nautilus and Eurolink from Suffolk down to Kent to distribute within the Thames Valley where it is needed.

In early January 2022, Sea Link sent a letter to Town Councils in the area suggesting a meeting to inform councillors of the project background and next steps and to listen to their views.  SEAS welcomes this meeting but believes this should be an open meeting for all people to attend.  We urge you to write to your Town Council requesting that they organise a meeting with Sea Link but that this meeting needs to be an open meeting for ALL stakeholders.

“During 2022, we will engage with key stakeholders and undertake a number of onshore and offshore surveys to inform our proposal, which we intend to present at a public consultation in the summer.”  Letter to Town Councils from Sea Link

Resources

• • • • SEAS Sea Link Webpage
      • National Grid Electricity Transmission Sea Link Webpage

6. SCD2 Interconnector, National Grid Electricity Transmission

SCD2 is a proposed second subsea UK grid connection to link Suffolk & Kent.

7. North Falls Offshore Wind Farm (Greater Gabbard Extension), Scottish and Southern Electricity/RWE

An offshore electricity generating station approximately 24.5km from its nearest point at the Port of Lowestoft. It is estimated to have an installed capacity in excess of 100MW and will comprise offshore wind turbines together with associated infrastructure (onshore and offshore) including a connection to the electricity transmission network. North Falls project is currently undergoing public consultation, (North Falls Wind Farm consultation) and exploring cable landing between Frinton and Holland on Sea.

Resources

• • • • The Planning Inspectorate’s North Falls Webpage: The application is expected to be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate Summer 2023.
      • North Falls Offshore Wind Farm Website

8. Five Estuaries Offshore Wind Farm, RWE

Five Estuaries Offshore Wind Farm is the sister project of the existing 353 MW Galloper Wind Farm, 30 km off the coast of Suffolk.

Resources

• • • • The Planning Inspectorate’s Five Estuaries Webpage:  The application is expected to be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate in the third quarter of 2023.
      • Five Estuaries Offshore Wind Farm Website