February 8, 2013
England

Fears of an ‘industrial nightmare’ if Triton Knoll wind farm cable plans are passed

Louth Leader | 8 February 2013 | www.louthleader.co.uk

Lincolnshire will become an ‘industrial nightmare’ if plans to lay miles of cabling though the county are brought to fruition, according to a local councillor.

Renewable energy firm RWE nPower Renewables has this week announced its preferred options for transmitting power from a wind farm of the coast of Mablethorpe.

Underground power cables are intended to come onshore at Anderby Creek then on to one of three proposed ‘intermediate compounds,’ three hectares large and 15 metres tall, around Skegness or Orby.

Anderby Parish Council’s chairman Coun Carole Mason has expressed her grave concerns about the proposed onshore connection point.

She said: “We can’t believe they want to bring the cables on shore through the Coastal Country Park – lots of families come to Anderby every year to enjoy the peace and quiet, the sea and sandy beaches and I don’t think people realise the impact this will have.

“If these developers have their way, Lincolnshire will become an industrial nightmare.”

Opponents prefer the cable route to remain offshore until the Wash or Killingholme substation in Norfolk.

Project manager Jacob Hain says the proposals follow months of investigation to determine the most appropriate power transmission option for the offshore Triton Knoll wind farm, a 1,200 megawatt site planned for around 20 miles off the coast of Mablethorpe.

He said: “We’ve been evaluating a whole raft of options and joining the dots to find what works the best to narrow down the options in today’s announcement.”

The latest plans also detail the proposed locations of three kilometre-wide ‘cable corridors’ through which the 60-metre-wide cables will be laid, from Anderby to a substation at Bicker Fen, via the chosen intermediary compound.

Mr Hain and his team have planned a series of consultation events to gain local knowledge on the range of short-listed proposals before a final decision is made.

Councillors and residents had previously fought a victorious battle against RWE’s initial plans to build a 40 acre substation in East Lindsey, which they feared would industrialise an area of natural beauty. But with cable corridors and three hectare buildings threatened once again for the region, opponents have renewed their pledge to fight RWE out of East Lindsey.

‘Totally unacceptable proposals’

Lincolnshire County Council’s environmental scrutiny committee chairman Coun Colin Davie, said: “Despite making our position clear over many months, RWE have chosen to ignore the county council and proceed with these totally unacceptable proposals.

“We have made it clear that any proposal to bring cables and an intermediate substation to the east Lincolnshire coast would meet with our opposition – it now meets with our full and formal objection.”

Mr Hain claims his team’s investigation ‘unequivocally dismissed’ the Wash option to arrive at the ‘most economic, efficient and environmentally suitable connection point.’

He believes projects such as Triton Knoll, which will supply power to around 850,000 homes and create hundreds of jobs are crucial for the UK economy and would like local people to support it.

RWE will also provide a substantial investment for valuable projects through consultation with local residents.

Consultation events will be held in Anderby Village Hall on Thursday, March 7 from 4pm to 7pm and The Royal Hotel, Skegness, on Sunday, March 10 from 3pm to 7pm and again the following day from 12pm to 6pm.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2013/02/08/fears-of-an-industrial-nightmare-if-triton-knoll-wind-farm-cable-plans-are-passed/