Equinor has selected ERM as Environmental Consultant and CMS as legal advisor to support the delivery of the Scoping Report for its Celtic Sea offshore wind project.
The report forms part of the site’s lease requirements, following award in The Crown Estate’s Leasing Round 5.
ERM will provide planning and environmental consultancy services including undertaking an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) scoping and Habitats Regulation Assessment (HRA) screening exercise for the offshore wind farm and associated transmission cable and grid connection works.
CMS have been selected as legal advisor and will support delivery of an application for a Development Consent Order (DCO) under the Planning Act by providing legal support and strategic guidance throughout the pre-application phase. CMS will also provide legal support in regards to acquiring suitable land agreements and rights.
The site, awarded in The Crown Estate leasing round 5, lies off the coast of South-West England and has a capacity of up to 1.5GW, which could be operational in the mid-2030s, holding the potential to generate renewable power for millions of homes.
Round 5 presents a generational opportunity to establish a new market for offshore wind in the Celtic Sea and within communities across Wales, South-West England and beyond. Work is already underway with local partners to plan delivery of social value initiatives in the region.
The Scoping Report will request opinions from stakeholders on the outline of the topics and methodologies proposed for inclusion in the EIA which is required for the project to be determined via the DCO process as a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP). Further details will be made available via the Planning Inspectorate.