We are pleased to announce that the Morgan and Morecambe Offshore Wind Farms: Transmission Assets project has taken another step forward, as the application for development consent has been accepted for examination.

The Morgan Offshore Wind Project and the Morecambe Offshore Windfarm are two proposed offshore wind farms being developed in the Irish Sea. The offshore wind farms are collaborating to connect to the national grid via the Morgan and Morecambe Offshore Wind Farms Transmission Assets project.

We submitted our application to the Planning Inspectorate on Monday 21 October 2024, and it was formally accepted on Monday 18 November 2024, meaning it will now progress to the pre-examination stage.

The application followed three rounds of public consultation, targeted consultations and ongoing technical engagement with stakeholders. Feedback received during this time, alongside ongoing assessments, has helped shape the development of our proposals.

Now that the Planning Inspectorate has accepted the application for examination, notices will be placed in relevant publications and displayed at various locations to advertise the relevant representation period and provide details about how to register to become an interested party in relation to the project. The process to register to become an interested party in relation to the project will be managed by the Planning Inspectorate and will open shortly. Further details will be available on their website.

The examination is likely to take place in early 2025 for around six months, and following completion, the Examining Authority will present its recommendation to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, who will then make the final decision on whether the DCO should be granted. We anticipate a final decision being made on our application in 2026.

For more information and to view the DCO application documents, visit the relevant pages on the Planning Inspectorate’s website at Morgan and Morecambe Offshore Wind Farms Transmission Assets – Project information.