Community consultations launch for UK offshore wind projects

• Local consultations will run for over six weeks for the Morgan and Mona, and Morecambe offshore wind projects.

• Together, when operational the wind farms could power the equivalent of more than three million homes.

Community consultations today launched for the Morgan, Mona and Morecambe offshore wind farms to be located in the Irish Sea. The consultations will run from 19 April to 4 June and will be open to the local community and stakeholders.

Morgan and Mona are being developed under a joint venture between bp and Energie Baden-Wurttemberg AG (EnBW) and Morecambe is being developed under a joint venture between Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios, S.A. and Flotation Energy Ltd. Morgan, Mona and Morecambe have potential generation of over 3GW when operational, which could help contribute to the UK Government’s commitment to 50GW of offshore wind power by 2030. 

Throughout May, several events will be hosted across different locations in north west England, the Isle of Man, and Wales for local residents and stakeholders to learn more about each project and ask questions. The full events schedule is available online and is open for those wanting to engage and provide feedback on the consultations or find out further details. 

This latest round follows the first stage of consultations for Morecambe and Morgan that launched in November 2022. These new consultations will look at all three wind farms, including:

• Full statutory consultation of Mona’s transmission and generation assets,

• Statutory consultation for Morgan generation assets,

• Morecambe’s generation assets, and a joint non-statutory consultation for Morecambe and Morgan’s transmission assets.

Transmission assets are everything from the subsea cables to the onshore connection into the network- anything that brings the electricity onshore and into the grid. Generation assets are wind turbines, and anything else that turns the wind into power.

Richard Haydock, project director, bp, said:

“These consultations are the next step in us delivering our offshore wind projects and supplying UK customers with home-grown renewable energy.

“bp and EnBW are working closely with Cobra and Flotation Energy to develop the plans for the wind farms, so we encourage anyone who can, to attend the events and provide feedback. We look forward to working with the community and we’re excited to work with our partners to help deliver the next step in getting our wind farms online.”

Although Morgan and Morecambe aim to share their transmission works, and the projects are closely linked, all three wind farms will submit their own development consent orders. The applications for those orders are expected to be submitted in 2024.

Burkhard Römhild, acting project director, EnBW, said: 

“Following good conversations with several key stakeholders, we are glad to see our projects now progress to the next stage, opening and intensifying the opportunity for all interested to share their views and give input for us to consider.

“We will progress our projects considering all the valuable input and balancing renewable electricity production with the protection of sensitive habitats and legitimate interests of the communities in which we will operate. We are looking forward to supplying British consumers with affordable and reliable electricity from our projects Morgan & Mona. The design of our projects as well as our cooperation with our neighbour Morecambe will help to achieve this whilst minimizing impact on the environment as well as on our stakeholders.”

A spokesperson for Cobra and Flotation Energy, joint venture project partners for Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Ltd, said: 

“Morecambe Offshore Windfarm will play an essential part in the UK’s journey to a net zero future. Collectively with the Morgan and Mona offshore wind farm projects, we have the potential to produce enough clean, renewable energy to power more than 3 million homes in the UK, as well as contributing to the security of the nation’s energy supplies.

“We are committed to engaging meaningfully with the local community throughout its development. We want it to be a shared endeavour, and something of which we and future generations can all be proud. Our formal consultation will, to that end, give people a chance to have their say and to shape the approach we take to delivering it.”

For the consultations on Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Generation Assets, Morgan Offshore Wind Project Generation Assets, and Morgan and Morecambe Offshore Wind Farms Transmission assets please visit: www.morecambeandmorgan.com

For the Morgan Offshore Wind Project Generation Assets consultation visit please: www.morecambeandmorgan.com/morgan

For the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm Generation Assets consultation visit please: www.morecambeandmorgan.com/morecambe

For the Morgan and Morecambe Offshore Wind Farms: Transmission Assets consultation please visit: www.morecambeandmorgan.com/transmission

For the Mona Offshore Wind Farm consultation please visit: www.morganandmona.com

About bp

bp's purpose is to reimagine energy for people and our planet. bp has set out an ambition to be a net zero company by 2050, or sooner, and help the world get to net zero. This strategy will see bp transform from an international oil company producing resources - to an integrated energy company providing solutions to customers. bp already has a significant onshore wind business in the US with a gross generating capacity of approximately 1.7GW, operating nine wind assets across the country as well as a 5.2GW net offshore pipeline.

About EnBW

Energie Baden-Württemberg AG (EnBW) is one of the largest energy supply companies in Germany and Europe, with a workforce of 27,000 employees supplying energy to around 5.5 million customers. Installed renewable energy capacity will account for 50 percent of EnBW’s generating portfolio by the end of 2025. EnBW was among the pioneers in offshore wind power with its Baltic 1 wind farm in the Baltic Sea. EnBW has developed, constructed and operates four offshore wind farms in Germany with a total installed capacity of 945 MW. Another 960 MW from the offshore wind farm He Dreiht are currently under development; the final investment decision in March 2023 cleared the way for the start of construction.

About Cobra

Cobra is a world leader in the development, construction and management of industrial infrastructure and energy projects, with more than 75 years of experience. Cobra is a worldwide reference with the capacity and determination to develop, create and operate industrial and energy infrastructures that require a high level of service, based on excellence in integration, technological innovation and financial strength.

About Flotation Energy

Flotation Energy, headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, is leading the way in the development of the offshore wind projects and pioneering the future of renewable energy. It has a growing project pipeline, managing 13GW of offshore wind projects in the UK, Ireland, Taiwan, Japan and Australia; with plans to expand into many more key markets. Its core strengths lie in building and operating offshore windfarms in new offshore locations around the globe with expertise in project and engineering management of large infrastructure projects. Determined to support the global movement to Net Zero and sustainable energy consumption, we recognise the benefits of collaboration and working in partnership with other developers to deliver proven, cost-effective solutions.

Further enquiries 

bp press office: bppress@bp.com ; EnBW: Miriam Teige, m.teige@enbw.com ; Morecambe: Gael Cordiner, gaelcordiner@flotationenergy.com

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