Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Limited

TRITON KNOLL ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Environmental Statement

Volume 1

Chapter 4: Site Selection and Alternatives

April 2015, Revision A

Document Reference: 6.2.1.4 Pursuant to: APFP Reg. 5(2)(a) Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Ltd Triton Knoll Electrical System Environmental Statement - Volume 1

Copyright © 2015 Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Limited Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Limited All pre-existing rights reserved.

Triton Knoll Electrical System Liability Copyright © 2014 Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm In the preparation of this document, Triton Knoll Offshore Environmental Statement Limited Wind Farm Limited (TKOWFL), a joint venture between RWE

InnogyAll pre UK-existing (RWE) rights and reserved. Statkraft UK, and subconsultants Volume 1: Chapter 4 – Site Selection and Alternatives working on behalf of TKOWFL, have made reasonable efforts to ensure that the content is accurate, up to date and complete for the purpose for which it was prepared. Neither April 2015 TKOWFL nor their subcontractors make any warranty as to Copyright © 2014 Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm the accuracy or completeness of material supplied. Other thanLimited any liability on TKOWFL or their subcontractors detailed in theAll pre contracts-existing between rights reserved. the parties for this work neither TKOWFL or their subcontractors shall have any liability for Drafted By: RWE any loss, damage, injury, claim, expense, cost or other consequence arising as a result of use or reliance upon any Approved By: Kim Gauld-Clark information contained in or omitted from this document. Date of Approval April 2015 Any persons intending to use this document should satisfy themselves as to its applicability for their intended purpose.

Revision 2 Where appropriate, the user of this document has the obligation to employ safe working practices for any activities referred to and to adopt specific practices appropriate to local conditions. Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Ltd Trigonos Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Limited have been awarded Great Western Way EU TEN-E funding to support the development of the Triton Swindon Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Electrical System located in both UK Territorial waters and the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone. The Wiltshire, SN5 8ZT funding which is to be matched will support a number of surveys, engineering reports, and environmental impact assessment studies for the Triton Knoll Electrical System. The T +44 (0)845 720 090 studies will form part of the formal documentation that will F +44 (0)845 720 050 accompany the Development Consent Order which will be submitted to the Planning Inspectorate. The sum of €1,159,559 I www.rweinnogy.com has been granted and the process to reclaim this funding is ongoing. www.rweinnogy.com/tritonknoll [email protected]

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Table of Contents 4 SITE SELECTION AND ALTERNATIVES ...... 4-1 Introduction ...... 4-1 Legislation and Policy Context ...... 4-2 Site Selection and Alternatives Process ...... 4-2 Transmission Technology ...... 4-3 Interface Selection Assessment ...... 4-4 Subsequent changes to ISA assumptions ...... 4-13 Site Selection Assessment...... 4-15

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1 4 SITE SELECTION AND ALTERNATIVES  The location and nature of the Unlicensed Works at the existing National Grid Bicker Fen Substation. Introduction 4.3 The various components above collectively comprise the TKES. TKOWFL has undertaken extensive consultation with both statutory and non-statutory consultees on 4.1 This Chapter of the Environmental Statement (ES) has been prepared by Triton Knoll many aspects of the scheme as part of its consideration of alternatives. That Offshore Wind Farm Limited (TKOWFL) to set out the main alternatives considered consultation has provided important information and insight into the views and during the development of the Triton Knoll Electrical System (TKES). These concerns of statutory consultees and the public. However, given the engineering alternatives primarily relate to the locational choice for various components of the constraints of the electrical system TKOWFL has focussed its consultation on those TKES. However, alternatives were also considered with respect to the type of elements of the electrical works (such as the siting of the IEC and substation and technology that should be used. The process of the consideration of alternatives for micrositing of the onshore cable route) where those being consulted could genuinely Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm comprised two key phases: influence the final proposals. 1) The Interface Selection Assessment, being a process to decide where the TKES 4.4 Consultation was carried out on the shortlist of substation and IEC options that had should connect into the existing high voltage electricity transmission network been identified as feasible through detailed analysis, rather than an extensive longlist (known as the national grid); and of options which had not yet been filtered and therefore may not have been suitable. 2) The Site Selection process, which subsequently identified where all the elements This approach was taken to ensure statutory consultees and the public could influence of the Electrical System should be located and also included the selection of the the decisions being taken on genuine alternatives. Consultation undertaken with electrical technology that should be used. respect to alternatives is set out in each relevant section of this Chapter. TKOWFL and National Grid took the decision not to consult on the selection of the Onshore Interface 4.2 The two-stage process set out above commenced in 2009 with the acceptance by Point because, once appraised for technical feasibility, the process of evaluating the TKOWFL of a connection into the high voltage transmission network that is owned and identified options involved using high-level principles to primarily differentiate cost and operated by National Grid. Over a subsequent period extending from 2009 until 2014 high level environmental impact. Similarly, the selection of the landfall was principally TKOWFL has continued to evaluate and refine the options available to determine: driven by high level environmental issues and engineering and commercial constraints dictated by the practicalities of construction at the landfall, including the potential  A suitable offshore cable route and cable landfall (including accommodation of impact of landfall location on offshore and onshore cable routing. Transition Joint Bays at the landfall); 4.5 Extensive detail on the alternatives process undertaken from 2009 to 2014 is contained  A suitable location for an Intermediate Electrical Compound (IEC) approximately in four key documents: midway along the entire offshore and onshore cable route;  The ‘Interface Selection Assessment Report’ and its appendix the ‘Interface  A suitable onshore cable route from the landfall to the Onshore Interface Point, Selection Report’ (Application Document 8.18); including connection via the IEC and the Triton Knoll substation;  The ‘Site Selection and Design Report’ and its appendix the ‘Alternatives  A suitable location for a new Triton Knoll substation required to increase the Consultation Report’ (Application Document 8.17 and Appendix B of that voltage of the power exported by the offshore wind farm to the voltage of the 400 document). kilovolt (kV) transmission system; and

1 “Unlicensed works” are electrical works needed to connect Triton Knoll to the National Grid substation at Bicker Fen that National Grid is not required pursuant to its transmission licence to carry out itself.

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4.6 This Chapter meets the requirements of The Infrastructure Planning (Environmental 4.12 Furthermore Transmission Licence holders, being National Grid and the future OFTO, Impact Assessment) Regulations 2009, as set out in the next section. are bound by section 9 of the Electricity Act which requires them:

Legislation and Policy Context ‘(a) to develop and maintain an efficient, co-ordinated and economical system of electricity transmission; and 4.7 TKOWFL has formally provided notification to the Secretary of State under Regulation (b) to facilitate competition in the supply and generation of electricity.’ 6(1)(b) of the EIA Regulations 2009, that it proposes to provide an Environmental 4.13 The above obligations on Licence holders generally and Transmission Licence holders Statement in respect of the proposed development. Therefore, in accordance with specifically, apply regardless of the consenting regime ultimately entered into or the Regulation 4(2)(a) of the EIA Regulations the proposed development is determined to relevant EIA Regulations. These obligations have been taken into account, alongside be ‘EIA development’. Further detail on the requirements of EIA is set out in Chapter 3 consideration of environmental effects, in the consideration of alternatives by TKOWFL of this ES. (and National Grid where it has been involved in the TKES alternatives process). 4.8 With respect to alternatives, Schedule 4, Part 1 (18) requires that ES include: ‘An outline of the main alternatives studied by the applicant and an indication of Site Selection and Alternatives Process the main reasons for the applicant’s choice, taking into account the environmental 4.14 The following section describes the Interface Selection Assessment (ISA) and Site effects.’ Selection Assessment (SSA). Whilst there are clear inter-relationships and overlaps 4.9 This Chapter has been prepared to meet the above statutory requirement. In addition between the two processes and data used, they are described separately here. The to considering environmental effects, work in relation to alternatives is also governed ISA was a high level initial phase of site selection/alternatives work that defined the by the obligations placed upon TKOWFL, National Grid and a future Offshore location of the grid connection point and also informed the wider project component Transmission System Operator (OFTO) (represented at this stage by TKOWFL under site selection analysis. The Site Selection Assessment was the process for identifying the Generator Build Scenario)2 by the Electricity Act 1989. the onshore and offshore cable route and landfall, for reviewing options for the preferred zone for the IEC and Substation and subsequently selecting, refining and 4.10 As holders of Licences under the Electricity Act 1989, TKOWFL (Generation Licence) designing the IEC and Substation sites within the respective zones. The process and National Grid (Transmission Licence) must comply with Schedule 9 which requires es are that licence holders: set out in greater detail in the Interface Selection Assessment Report (ISAR) and the Site Selection and Design Report (SS&DR), Application Documents 8.18 and 8.17 ‘(a) shall have regard to the desirability of preserving natural beauty, of respectively and are summarised below. conserving flora, fauna and geological or physiographical features of special interest and of protecting sites, buildings and objects of architectural, historic or Interface Selection Assessment Process archaeological interest; and 4.15 The key stages of the Interface Selection Assessment were to: (b) shall do what he reasonably can to mitigate any effect which the proposals would have on the natural beauty of the countryside or on any such flora, fauna, a) identify all potential connection points to the national electricity network, at locations where existing substations were already present, or where new features, sites, buildings or objects...’ network infrastructure could be created to facilitate a connection; 4.11 Any future OFTO would also be bound by the same requirement, as they would be b) identify which of the above locations were suitable to be progressed to an authorised to operate under a Transmission Licence. initial, and then a refined longlist of possible Onshore Interface Points;

c) identify a longlist of possible landfalls – seven were identified;

2 d) identify potential offshore cable routes from the offshore wind farm to the Further information relating to the legal context of different parties, particularly with respect to the choice of the Onshore Interface Point and how this is progressed, is given in the Interface longlist of landfalls; Selection Assessment Report. e) identify potential onshore routes from the longlist of landfalls to each of the refined longlist of Onshore Interface Points;

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f) confirm the routing and landfall assumptions for each of the refined longlist of i) finalise the ‘2013 Consultation Corridor’ by connecting the preferred IEC Onshore Interface Points in order to carry out a comparative assessment of the Connector Corridor, the Onward Cable Corridor and the Substation Connector sites leading to a shortlist of four Onshore Interface Points; and Corridor; g) carry out a detailed comparative assessment of the four shortlisted sites to j) undertake consultation on the identified shortlist of IEC zones, Substation identify a chosen Onshore Interface Point which is economic, efficient, zones and invite comments on the 2013 Consultation Corridor. coordinated and would have the lowest environmental impact. k) evaluate feedback from consultation to recommend preferred zones for the IEC 4.16 Potential landfall areas were identified during this process to ensure that there were and the Substation to the Local Planning Authorities (LPAs). feasible landfalls available to each of the shortlisted Onshore Interface Point. This l) taking into account LPA feedback, select preferred zones for IEC and exercise was solely to facilitate the selection of the Onshore Interface Point. A more Substation; detailed study was subsequently undertaken to determine the actual landfall point, which is described in detail below. m) undertake further consultation with the LPA and consider to inform the micrositing of the IEC equipment within the preferred IEC zone to develop a Site Selection Assessment Process ‘PEI IEC Site’ to be assessed for the statutory consultation;

4.17 The detailed stages of the Site Selection Assessment were to: n) undertake further consultation with the LPA to inform the micrositing of the Substation equipment within the preferred Substation zone to develop a ‘PEI a) identify areas of search for landfalls, IECs and the Substation and areas of Substation Site’ to be assessed for the statutory consultation; search for onshore connection routes from the shortlisted landfalls to the Substation; o) refine the 2013 Consultation Corridor using information from landowners and create the ‘Preliminary Cable Alignment’; b) gather environmental and technical information to identify potential longlist landfall options, assess to produce a shortlist and then finalise the preferred p) undertake consultation with landowners and local residents on the Preliminary landfall option – seventeen landfall zones were initially identified that were Cable Alignment; refined to the shortlist of four; q) evaluate consultation feedback, secure further engineering advice and c) select a preferred cable route area of search and refine to provide an ‘Onward generate the ‘PEI Cable Route’ to be assessed for the statutory consultation; Cable Corridor’ linking the IEC and Substation areas of search; r) refine the offshore cable corridor to the selected landfall that was identified in d) gather environmental and technical information to identify a longlist of potential the ISA process further to new data that were collected during offshore surveys IEC zones within the IEC area of search – twenty nine zones were identified; and further consultation; and e) evaluate the longlist of IEC zones to create a shortlist – three zones were s) consider Section 42 and Section 47 under the Planning Act 2008 Preliminary shortlisted; Environmental Information (PEI) consultation responses and update the onshore cable corridor alignment. f) gather environmental and technical information to identify a longlist of potential Substation zones within the Substation area of search – eighteen potential 4.18 These stages have been summarised into six stages, or project components, within the substation zones were identified; Site Selection Assessment section below. Following a ‘flow of electricity’ sequence of development the above points are described in terms of offshore cable corridor, g) evaluate the longlist of the Substation zones to create a shortlist of Substation landfall, IEC, onshore cable corridor, new Triton Knoll substation and works at the zones – four zones were shortlisted; existing NGET substation. h) create the ‘Substation Connector Corridors’ by routing the cable corridor to the shortlisted Substation zones; Transmission Technology

4.19 The identification of the preferred technology solution for the Electrical System was undertaken between 2008 and 2012. Throughout the ISA and the early stages of the

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SSA, TKOWFL maintained a number of technology options to minimise risk and ensure and technical benefits offered by an overhead AC solution did not outweigh the the technology that was eventually brought forward would be economic, efficient and potential environmental impact of the overhead lines which required steel lattice towers coordinated (as required by Section 9 of the Electricity Act). Whilst the established (pylons). Therefore, it was considered that the justification for this technology solution technology option of High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC) had been identified was not strong enough to take this option forward. The case for an overhead line during the ISA as likely to be the favoured option, TKOWFL still investigated all solution was further reduced when the likely construction capacity of the wind farm was options, which were: reduced from 1200 MW to 900 MW.  High Voltage Alternating current (HVAC) technology for offshore and onshore 4.24 HVAC underground technology has therefore been selected for the TKES and the cables, with either overhead or underground infrastructure onshore. Following Alternatives Assessment described throughout this chapter is based upon the use of the selection of the Onshore Interface Point, HVAC was found to require an this technology. Intermediate Electrical Compound somewhere close to the midpoint of the entire length of the Electrical System, between the offshore array and the Onshore Interface Selection Assessment Interface Point at the existing National Grid Bicker Fen substation; 4.25 The selection of the onshore interface point was a key stage in the alternatives  High Voltage Direct current (HVDC) technology for offshore and onshore cables, process, since it determined the endpoint at which the TKES connects to the existing with underground cables only onshore (consideration was only given to high voltage electricity transmission network operated by National Grid. underground solution, owing to the lack of established implementation of direct 4.26 TKOWFL and National Grid undertook a joint Interface Selection Assessment (ISA), current overhead systems elsewhere); the outcomes of which are reported in the ISAR and the ISR appended to it  Hybrid HVAC/HVDC solution, whereby the offshore cabling would operate with (Application Document 8.18). This section sets out the main alternatives considered in HVAC, but the onshore cabling would operate with HVDC. This would require a the ISA, how those options were identified and the main reasons for choosing the AC/DC converter station site near the landfall, but not an IEC. preferred option of connecting into the existing National Grid substation at Bicker Fen. 4.20 TKOWFL carried out extensive system studies, including calculating electrical losses, Stage a- Identify all potential grid network points to determine the cost differential between the various options. TKOWFL found that a solely HVDC System was significantly more costly than either a HVAC or Hybrid 4.27 The existing high voltage transmission network (275 kV and 400 kV) in the vicinity of system as the TKES is not of sufficient length to realise the HVDC cost saving benefits Triton Knoll is relatively limited and hence potential connection options were of fewer cables and reduced electrical loses. TKOWFL determined that such a solution investigated across a broad geographical search area, comprising: would render the scheme commercially unviable and would also be contrary to  North of the Humber; TKOWFL’s role as a developer of the future transmission system, to ensure an economic and efficient Electrical System.  Northern Lincolnshire; 4.21 Whilst a hybrid HVAC/HVDC solution was slightly more cost effective than a solely  Southern Lincolnshire; HVDC solution, it would require mid-connection infrastructure located close to the  West of the Wolds; and landfall which would have led to significant infrastructure requirements (for example  Northwest Norfolk. converter station infrastructure in a coastal location which is generally much larger than the IEC infrastructure required for a solely AC solution). 4.28 Seventeen potential connection options were initially identified by National Grid within this large search area. These options included thirteen existing substations and four 4.22 TKOWFL found that overall the hybrid solution did not offer a sufficiently material zones for potential new substations. The new substation zones all required new linear environmental benefit to warrant further consideration and therefore the TKES was transmission infrastructure to be developed by National Grid to provide the connection. ultimately brought forward as an AC solution only. Details of the seventeen zones can be found in Figures 4-1 to 4-5 respectively. 4.23 Through discussions with the local planning authorities (LPAs) and following feedback from the consultation undertaken in 2010 on the original ‘Mumby’ proposal (see Application Document 8.18 for more details), TKOWFL considered that the economic

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Stage b – Define initial and refined longlists of possible Onshore Interface Points

4.29 The seventeen connection options were taken forward and considered as potential Onshore Interface Points. 4.30 The existing Creyke Beck substation and a new 400 kV substation in the vicinity of Easington (Figure 4-1) were taken forward into the initial longlist from the north of Humber area. This was on the basis that the other substations in this area, being the existing 275 kV substations at Hedon, Saltend North and Saltend South, would require extensive transmission system reinforcement (including new overhead lines and new substations, 2014) to comply with the NETS SQSS (National Electricity Transmission System Security and Quality of Supply Standards). Such transmission reinforcements would not be justifiable whilst other options existed, both in respect of the associated cost and obligations for an economic, efficient and coordinated network.

Figure 4-2: Potential Onshore Interface Points- North Lincolnshire

Figure 4-1: Potential Onshore Interface Points- North of Humber

Figure 4-3: Potential Onshore Interface Points- West of Wolds

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4.31 Of the options identified in northern Lincolnshire (Figure 4-2), only Keadby 400 kV was not taken forward into the initial longlist, also on the basis of the extensive reinforcement that would be required to comply with NETS SQSS. 4.32 West Burton was identified as a potential Onshore Interface Point to the west of the Lincolnshire Wolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Cottam is shown for information only but was not put forward by National Grid for a number of technical reasons (Figure 4-3). 4.33 The existing Bicker Fen substation and Mumby (new substation) 400 kV (identified on Figure 4-4) were progressed to the initial longlist from the southern Lincolnshire area, whilst Spalding North 400 kV was dismissed on the basis of the extensive reinforcement that would be required to comply with NETS SQSS. 4.34 Walpole 400 kV was progressed as a possible Onshore Interface Point. Norwich is shown for information only but was not put forward by National Grid for a number of technical reasons (Figure 4-5). 4.35 As a result of the above factors, an initial longlist of twelve possible Onshore Interface Points was identified, comprising connections to eight existing substations and four potential new substations, being: Figure 4-4: Potential Onshore Interface Points- South Lincolnshire a) Creyke Beck b) Easington (new) c) Killingholme d) Killingholme (South) (new) e) South Humber Bank f) Humber Refinery g) Grimsby West h) Grimsby South (new) i) Mumby (new) j) Bicker Fen k) West Burton l) Walpole 4.36 Further consideration by National Grid and TKOWFL resulted in the elimination of the following five options, to create a refined longlist:  Potential new substations at Easington, Grimsby South and Mumby – these were removed on the basis that they would require National Grid to extend its existing Figure 4-5: Potential Onshore Interface Points- North Norfolk transmission system. This would have required extensions to the high voltage

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network (including new overhead lines) which could not be supported against Interface Point Option Progressed? Yes/No options which could utilise existing networks and National Grid’s obligation to Walpole Yes develop an efficient and economic system;  Humber Refinery - National Grid and TKOWFL agreed that significant physical 4.37 Following this exercise, the refined longlist of 8 potential Onshore Interface Points challenges existed with a Humber Refinery connection (particularly in relation to (including West Burton), set out above in Table 4-1 was taken forward to Stage c for the extent of existing infrastructure, including pipelines, in the vicinity of the further consideration. substation) and therefore a connection to this location was not carried forward for comparative assessment as there were more feasible options; and Stage c - Identification of potential cable landfalls  West Burton – although this was included in National Grid’s initial long list of 4.38 TKOWFL then sought to identify potential landfalls through consideration of key twelve Onshore Interface Point options, both parties considered this connection offshore and coastal environmental and physical constraints and risks, including but highly undesirable because of the onshore distance involved and the need to not limited to: cross the Lincolnshire Wolds AONB. West Burton was therefore not considered in  Offshore international or national nature conservation designations, such as the the subsequent constraint mapping process undertaken by TKOWFL. However, presence of Ramsar sites or Special Protection Areas (SPA) and Special Areas of an estimated onshore cable route was provided for the comparative assessment Conservation (SAC) (which would require a Habitat Regulations Assessment to check that there was no overwhelming cost benefit to a West Burton solution. (HRA) to be undertaken if the proposals presented a likely significant effect upon It was ultimately found that West Burton did not present any significant cost the European Site) and the extent of coastal Sites of Special Scientific Interest benefit to warrant its reconsideration. (SSSI), their listed features and their compatibility or otherwise with electrical connection infrastructure; Table 4-1: Refined longlist of Onshore Interface Point options  Key seabed features exhibiting a high degree of sensitivity to cable installation and therefore representing a significant constraint to cable installation; and Interface Point Option Progressed? Yes/No  Significant erosion risk at landfall zones. Creyke Beck Yes 4.39 Through consideration of the above constraints and other physical, environmental and Easington No – Extension of transmission network required risk factors, TKOWFL derived a longlist of sixteen potential landfall zones covering the Killingholme Yes north of Humber, Lincolnshire and north Norfolk coasts. On further consideration, these sixteen were reduced down to seven shortlisted landfall options. This exercise took into Killingholme South Yes account: South Humber Bank Yes  The Donna Nook military practice area (live ordnance used); Humber Refinery No – Existing infrastructure  Proposals for landfall for cables for other offshore wind farms;

Grimsby West Yes  Conflict with onshore wind infrastructure;

Grimsby South No – Extension of transmission network required  Challenging offshore cable routes, including the likely impact on multiple environmental designations in the Wash; Mumby No – Extension of transmission network required  Width of potential area for landfall; and Bicker Fen Yes  Avoidance of sensitive habitats, including Royal Society for the Protection of Birds West Burton No – excessive cable distance (but included for (RSPB) reserve, saline lagoons and coastal dunes, intertidal mud flats and comparison purposes) saltmarsh.

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4.40 Although a northwest Norfolk landfall at Hunstanton was considered, it was only Landfall Option Risk Rating progressed for comparative costing purposes because of the significant challenges for Nevilles Farm Very High offshore cabling to this landfall (described below in Stage e). 4.41 At this stage of the assessment the constraints to the refined longlist of 7 landfalls were Kilnsea Very High summarised as follows: North Coates Airfield Very High

South of Saltfleet Medium Table 4-2 Consenting and environmental risks associated with each landfall option Theddlethorpe St Helen Medium Landfall option Issues Risk rating Nevilles Farm No designations. Small number of Low Anderby Creek to Sandilands Medium dwellings locally. Beeches Farm Medium Kilnsea No designations directly affected High but SSSI immediately to north and south. Effect on Little Terns nesting on adjacent SPA. 4.43 The higher risk ratings associated with Nevilles Farm and Kilnsea were primarily North Coates Airfield SAC, SPA, Ramsar, SSSI. RSPB Very High reserve adjacent. Isolated. derived from existing high rates of coastal erosion and the issues this creates for cable Potential need for HRA . laying, design and longer term maintenance. South of Saltfleet SAC, SPA, Ramsar, SSSI. Close to Very High town. Potential need for HRA. 4.44 The higher rating associated with North Coates Airfield was due to the potential for the Theddlethorpe St Helen SAC, SPA, Ramsar, SSSI, National Very High ground conditions in the wide inter tidal zone, characterised by sandy clays and silts, Nature Reserve (NNR). Isolated overlaying marine muds, to be less suitable for directional drilling, a technique which dwelling nearby. Potential need for would be required to avoid other constraints including extensive salt marsh. HRA. Anderby Creek (North and Several SNCIs and a LWS nearby Medium South) to Sandilands which could be directly affected. Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park. Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marsh. Small number of dwellings locally on sea bank. A SSSI to the south at Wolla Bank. Beeches Farm Caravan park immediately inland Low / Medium and a public bathing beach close to main centres for accommodation. No ecological designations.

4.42 The refined longlist of landfall zones that are shown in Figure 4-6 was progressed for an engineering assessment to determine the level of risk associated with each alternative. Considerations included outline geology, coastal processes, coastal protection and sea defences, access for cable installation and drilling; cable installation options and their potential impacts (these options included thrust bore, pipe jack or directional drill where not open cut) and likely maintenance requirements. The outcomes of this assessment are shown in Table 4-3.

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 conflict with infrastructure (primarily offshore export cables) that is required for new offshore wind farms within the Hornsea Round 3 Offshore Wind Zone; Stage d - Identification of potential Offshore Cable Routes  vulnerability of the East Riding of Yorkshire coastline to coastal erosion; 4.45 Offshore cable corridors were developed from the TKOWF array to each of the seven  offshore international or national nature conservation designations, such as the landfall options (the shortlist) set out in Table 4-2, having regard to the following key presence of Ramsar sites, Special Protection Areas (SPA), Special Areas of offshore considerations: Conservation (SAC); and  offshore international or national nature conservation designations, such as the  nearshore engineering risks, such as the requirement to cross a significant presence of Ramsar sites, Special Protection Areas (SPA), Special Areas of number of critical offshore pipeline assets in order to make landfall. Conservation (SAC) and the extent of coastal Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), their listed features and their compatibility or otherwise with electrical 4.49 In light of the above analysis TKOWFL concluded that only Beeches Farm and connection infrastructure; Anderby Creek should be shortlisted for use in the ongoing assessment of alternative routes for the remaining Onshore Interface Points. Whilst routes were carried forward  Donna Nook Military Area (live ordnance used); for Nevilles Farm and Hunstanton, these were not considered to present likely options  significant shipping areas and Traffic Separation Schemes (TSS) and unless unexpected challenges arose with the other options. However, they were designated anchorage areas; progressed for comparative purposes, to ensure costs could be obtained for options to  key seabed features exhibiting a high degree of sediment mobility and/or the north of the Humber and to the north Norfolk coast. representing a significant constraint to cable installation, (for example the Silver Stage e – Identification of potential Onshore Cable Routes Pit seabed feature); 4.50 National Grid and TKOWFL derived the scope of works required for each of the  draft Marine Conservation Zones (dMCZ); remaining eight Onshore Interface Points on the refined longlist, being:  existing licensed marine aggregate dredging areas or notified application areas;  Creyke Beck and  Killingholme  potential interaction with known or proposed subsea cables or pipelines and oil, gas or wind infrastructure both onshore and offshore.  Killingholme South (new substation) 4.46 Figure 4-6 shows the potential offshore routes derived for connections to the shortlist of  South Humber Bank seven landfalls. As set out above, whilst eleven of these routes were taken forward for  Grimsby West engineering assessment, Route 8 to Hunstanton was only progressed for comparative costing purposes.  West Burton (for cost comparison only) 4.47 TKOWFL commissioned an offshore specialist consultant SEtech to undertake an  Bicker Fen engineering study of the refined longlist of offshore cable routes. Their report is at  Walpole Appendix B to the ISAR (Application Document 8.18). 4.51 Following further review National Grid and TKOWFL agreed that Creyke Beck and 4.48 SEtech’s report advised that significant weight should be placed on the risks arising Bicker Fen should be taken forward into the shortlist of onshore interface points. This from a number of offshore and coastal constraints, principally: was on the basis that neither required any new fundamental National Grid assets. In  engineering challenges associated with cable burial across the Silver Pit seabed contrast Killingholme, Grimsby West and South Humber Bank required the feature, owing to the steep slopes; ‘Humberside Reinforcements’ and Killingholme South required an entirely new substation. The Humberside Reinforcements comprise the construction of a new  outcrops of rock which can hinder cable burial; onshore 400 kV transmission circuit (approximate route length of 10 km) between the existing National Grid substations at South Humber Bank and Killingholme. Grimsby

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West was therefore removed at this stage, although South Humber Bank was taken development at any of the locations. Creyke Beck was not considered in relation to forward to test whether the costs of developing significantly more infrastructure physical and engineering factors, as by this stage it was included only to allow required by the Humberside Reinforcements would override environmental comparative assessment due to other offshore issues that had been identified. considerations. 4.58 Flood risk was considered for all four Onshore Interface Points and it was determined 4.52 Although TKOWFL remained concerned about the progression of Creyke Beck as an that each of the zones would be able to satisfy the requirements of the NPPF with option due to potential conflicts with projects within the Dogger Bank Round 3 Offshore respect to flooding, either by: Wind Zone and its intention to dismiss offshore Route options 6a, 6b and 7 (see Figure  Having potential opportunities for extension into an area of lower flood risk 4-6), it considered it prudent to progress a north of Humber option for further (Creyke Beck and South Humber Bank); comparative assessment in the Interface Selection Assessment.  Being located within a zone of low flood risk (Killingholme South); or 4.53 West Burton, Killingholme and Killingholme South (new) were of similar cost to each other. West Burton was discounted on the basis that it required a significant cable  Not requiring any additional planning consent (Bicker Fen). route through the Lincolnshire Wolds AONB which, on balance, was not considered to 4.59 In identifying Bicker Fen as the choice for the Onshore Interface Point, TKOWFL also offer any significant benefits over the other two options and would have additional took account of flood risk at the eventual location of the Triton Knoll substation. Whilst impacts. the zone for the Triton Knoll substation had not been identified at this stage, although 4.54 Killingholme South (new) was progressed in preference to Killingholme as it required there were other zones in areas of lower flood risk (in particular North Killingholme), the the least new infrastructure and was the less expensive of the two options. This economic, efficiency, coordination and environmental benefits set out below decision was reinforced as Killingholme South had been deliberately identified as an demonstrated that none of the other options (including Killingholme South) constituted option to avoid the need for the Humber Reinforcements required at Killingholme. It a reasonably available site appropriate for the proposed development in an area with a was considered that both Killingholme South and Killingholme would be likely to have lower probability of flooding. Bicker Fen benefits from: greater impacts than utilising existing assets, but on balance it was felt that the  Joint shortest overall connection distance (with South Humber Bank, but construction of a new National Grid substation would have a lesser environmental excluding the Humberside Reinforcements required to facilitate that option) and impact than a new 10 km (likely overhead) 400 kV circuit. Furthermore, TKOWFL therefore in principle the lowest environmental impact based on distance and identified a greater risk of conflict with the emerging Hornsea converter station onshore route context; proposals in the vicinity of the existing Killingholme substation.  No potential conflict with other schemes, particularly the Hornsea offshore wind 4.55 Finally, Walpole was removed due to uncertainty of the feasibility of routing the project and its associated OFTO converter/ substation and cable assets, whose offshore cable and a resultant much longer cable route. position was unknown at the time of the Interface Selection Assessment; 4.56 On the basis of the above, four Onshore Interface Points were shortlisted for final  No additional planning consent required by National Grid, as no material assessment, listed below and shown in Figure 4-6: development is anticipated that is not already covered by existing planning  Creyke Beck (with a cable route via Nevilles Farm); permissions or permitted development;  South Humber Bank (with a cable route via Anderby Creek);  Significantly lower costs for National Grid, being just 4.8 per cent of their cost for the work that would be required for an Onshore Interface Point at Killingholme  Killingholme South (new substation) (with a cable route via Anderby Creek); South; and  Significantly reduced Transmission System costs (i.e. including OFTO) being  Bicker Fen (with a cable route via Beeches Farm). 86.7 per cent of the cost of Killingholme South. Stage f and g – Final Comparative Assessment 4.60 In the final comparative assessment National Grid and TKOWFL attributed significant weight to the likely environmental impacts of the Humberside Reinforcements and/or 4.57 TKOWFL considered the physical and engineering implications of Killingholme, an entirely new National Grid substation. Furthermore options connecting into the Killingholme South and Bicker Fen and found that there was no significant constraint to

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northern Lincolnshire area (Killingholme South and South Humber Bank) were anticipated to create greater impacts on the basis of their greater length compared with Bicker Fen. 4.61 Whilst Creyke Beck was brought forward for comparative assessment purposes, it was considered unfavourable by SEtech based on the construction risks associated with the Silver Pit and the factors affecting the East Riding of Yorkshire coastline. 4.62 On balance TKOWFL considered Bicker Fen to be significantly more favourable in respect of environmental impact and physical constraints. In particular it avoids the need for both the Humberside Reinforcements and the construction of an entirely new National Grid substation. 4.63 Subsequent cost analysis, which was given strong weight in line with National Grid’s statutory obligations under section 9 of the Electricity Act, showed that Bicker Fen, at a total of £838.5m was the most economical solution for both National Grid’s works and the electrical system overall. In particular the cost analysis showed that there was no economic driver to progress the other shortlisted options with Creyke Beck being £88 million more costly, South Humber Bank being £68 million more costly and Killingholme South being £128 million more costly. 4.64 Bicker Fen was therefore progressed as the chosen Onshore Interface Point, which was ultimately reflected in a change to TKOWFL’s connection agreement with National Grid.

4-11 500000 550000 600000

450000 ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ Nevilles Farm ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ York (B) Hornsea Round 3 Offshore Wind Farm Zone ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ! ￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿

￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ = ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿ East Riding of Yorkshire = ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ Selby District NG 8 NG 9 ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ Holderness Inshore dMCZ City of Kingston upon Hull (B) Damnation Alley / Westermost Rough dMCZ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ 7 ￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ Humber ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿ 6b ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ Gateway ￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ Offshore ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ Kilnsea Wind Farm ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ NG 6 ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ Silver Pit dMCZ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ 6a ￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ North Lincolnshire (B) ￿￿ ￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ North East Lincolnshire (B) 5a 5b ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ Northcoates Airfield ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿ 4b ￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ 400000 ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ South of Saltfleet ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ 3b ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ West Lindsey District ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ 3a 4a NG 5 ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ Lincs Belt dMCZ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿ Bassetlaw District Theddlethorpe St Helen 2 ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ NG 4 ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿ Wash Approach dMCZ East Lindsey District 1

Lincoln District (B) Lincs Offshore Wind Farm ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ Anderby Creek ￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ to Sandilands

Newark and Sherwood District ￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿ North Kesteven District Beeches Farm ￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ 8 NG 2 ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ 350000 Cromer Shoal Chalk Beds dMCZ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿

Boston District (B) Hunstanton ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿ EXISTING NATIONAL GRID Rushcliffe District (B) ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ BICKER FEN SUBSTATION North Norfolk District ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ Rev Date Description Drn Chk App ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ South Kesteven District Triton Knoll Electrical System ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ Melton District (B) ￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿ South Holland District ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ Broadland District King's Lynn and West Norfolk District (B) ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ Breckland District ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ Charnwood District (B) ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ Norwich District (B) Rutland ￿￿ ￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿ Fenland District City of Peterborough (B) ￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ Harborough District ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ / East Northamptonshire District ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿ ￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ South Norfolk District ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ 300000 ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿ ￿￿ ￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿￿ Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Ltd Triton Knoll Electrical System Environmental Statement - Volume 1

Subsequent changes to ISA assumptions was chosen as the preferred option, the IEC would have to be located near the shore at Easington or just offshore on a central point along the cable route. The introduction 4.65 Since the ISA was undertaken in 2011, a number of changes have occurred to the of the IEC therefore does not change the conclusion that Bicker Fen is the best assumptions that were used to perform the comparative assessment. In line with the location, but if the IEC was required offshore, this is a considerable difference in cost to statutory obligations to ensure an economic, efficient and coordinated system, the an onshore IEC and this would certainly have resulted in Creyke Beck coming last in changes were reviewed to ensure that the original conclusions remained valid. the ranking overall. Project capacity Hornsea Projects

4.66 The Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm was brought forward with a generating capacity 4.71 SMartWind now has Grid Connection Agreements (GCAs) for a total of 4 GW for up to of up to 1200 MW. The electrical system design assumptions were therefore based on four Hornsea Projects, each connecting in two tranches of 500 MW. The first 2 GW of the number of cable circuits and substations sized and costed to accommodate the these are planned to connect into the Killingholme Substation and at the time of the 1200 MW capacity. ISA, the background contracted position (reported on National Grid’s TEC Register) included 2 GW from the Hornsea zone contracted to connect to the onshore 4.67 These design criteria formed the basis of the high-level appraisal of environmental transmission system in the south of the Humber region. In addition, at the time of the impact that was used to differentiate between the Onshore Interface Point options original appraisal of landfalls and onshore cable routes (discussed as ‘stage c’ above), during the ISA. Broadly, in the absence of any particular impacts relating to the various only Hornsea Projects One and Two were known about, albeit with very little detail options (of which none were identified) the decision to reduce the construction capacity available regarding route and landfall selection for either of these projects. Since the of the scheme to 900 MW was assumed to have a proportionally similar change in the completion of the ISA, it has been confirmed that the landfall for the Hornsea projects assumed environmental impact of each the cable route options. This because the One and Two are to be located near to Northcoates Airfield (referred to as Horseshoe reduction in capacity results in a proportionate reduction in infrastructure for all options Point by SMartWind). The problems associated with the risk of interacting with Projects that were considered. If all other things remain unchanged, (which they did in this One and Two is discussed in the Interface Selection Assessment Report (Application instance), reduced capacity affects all options proportionally and the ranking remains Document 8.18). Northcoates Airfield was dismissed during the ISA as a preferred unchanged. landfall option for the TKES for a number of environmental, engineering and 4.68 A similar principle applies to the cost comparison of options because at the level of commercial reasons associated not solely with the landfall itself, but also the offshore detail adopted in the original ISA study, cost has a linear relationship with capacity. So cable route from the TKOWF array and onshore cable routes required for that landfall. if capacity is reduced by 300 MW, costs for all scenarios reduce proportionally. With the confirmation of both the Hornsea projects One and Two using Northcoates Airfield, the assumed problematic cross-project interactions would no doubt 4.69 However there were some relatively minor changes to some of the assumptions, both materialise, therefore further confirming it as being an option with significant in relation to the cable route and the background system capacity and so commercial risk. environmental impacts have been reconsidered and costs have been recalculated to confirm if the changes have any impact on the eventual ranking of Onshore Interface Change in landfall and cable route assumptions Points. The updated costs which reflect the capacity reduction are presented below in 4.72 Since the ISA assessment in 2011, further information about constraints at the Table 4-5. Beeches Farm landfall became apparent, leading to the confirmation of north of Introduction of the Intermediate Electrical Compound Anderby Creek as the preferred landfall. The reasons for this are discussed in more detail in stage 2 below. It is therefore considered appropriate that the environmental 4.70 The requirement for the IEC was identified from the conclusion of the ISA and following and economic impacts of the shortlisted Onshore Connection Points are reappraised to technical analyses on the behaviour of HVAC cables over very long distances. The IEC ensure that these changes do not result in a change to the overall conclusions and would be a minimum requirement for all shortlisted options and it would, for each ranking. option, need to be located close to the midpoint of the cables. Had South Humber Bank or Killingholme South been selected, the IEC would need to be located somewhere to 4.73 The environmental impact consideration of Beeches Farm, during the ISA was that it the north of the landfall, within reasonable proximity to Anderby Creek. If Creyke Beck might offer a moderately better environmental solution than Anderby Creek, which interacts with the Huttoft Target Area of the Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marsh and

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the Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park. However, it was later found that Beeches Farm As seen in Table 4-6 the economic conclusions to select Bicker Fen as the preferred required removal and sterilisation of tourist assets at the adjacent caravan parks and option do not change if other options have longer or shorter cable routes than those would most likely require the temporary removal of defences in the area during assumed in 2011. construction. The landfall contributes a relatively small part of the overall impacts each Grid Connection Agreement modification application of the options and any resultant change in the environmental impact, from that assumed in the ISA needs to be considered holistically. This means taking into account 4.77 An application to modify the Triton Knoll Grid Connection Agreement (GCA) was made all impacts including cable route distance and transmission network reinforcement by TKOWFL in August 2014 which reflected a number of changes to the assumptions requirements, as well as landfall impacts. It is clear there is a fundamental shift to the set out in the previous agreement, including project construction capacity, timing and overall conclusions of the ISA that could result from the change in landfall assumption. phasing. As part of the process of a modifying a GCA, both the system operator Overall it has been clearly demonstrated that the other shortlisted options had and (National Grid) and the Generator (TKOWFL) are obliged to undertake a formal review would continue to have greater environmental impacts over-and-above the Bicker Fen process that will be subject to a full review by Ofgem. This ensures that the design of option and the changes to the landfall assumptions are not significant enough to lead the system is economic, efficient and coordinated. Background capacity, cost and to a revised (overall) environmental ranking of these shortlisted options. design assumptions are all reviewed as part of this process. 4.74 The offshore cable route into Anderby Creek has been slightly increased from 46.9 km 4.78 As part of this, National Grid considered whether the requested connection agreement to 48.9 km following some more detailed offshore analysis. This affects the cable route change would have a material impact on the scope of works that would be required to distance assumptions for Killingholme South, South Humber Bank and Bicker Fen. connect TKOWFL. National Grid “did not identify material changes from the scope of works that were considered as part of the initial comparative assessment of the 4.75 The only onshore cable route that has changed since 2011 was the route to Bicker possible interface point options (the “Interface Selection Assessment”) for the Triton Fen, which was the subject of a detailed routing analysis and consultation (see stage 4 Knoll connection…. and that that the preferred (Onshore Interface Point) decision below). Now originating to the north of Anderby Creek and instead of routing through remains valid”. This recent appraisal therefore did not identify a change to the the southern tip of the Lincolnshire Wolds AONB and in close proximity to National conclusions for Bicker Fen as the Onshore Interface Point, a fact which is to be Trust’s Gunby Hall Estate, it routes around to the south of Burgh-le-Marsh. Overall, the reflected in the updated contractual agreement (GCA). onshore route is 1.65 km longer and has therefore increased by approximately 3 per cent above the length of route assumed in 2011 for the Bicker Fen option. The Table 4-4 – Revised Distances for Shortlisted Onshore Interface Points changes to the cable route assumptions are presented in Table 4-4. However, route Distance (km) Interface Point/ Landfall Original Onshore Original Offshore length is not the only relevant factor to the environmental and cost analysis between Original Total Total Revised Onshore Revised Offshore Revised the Onshore Interface Points, as other considerations such as additional substation Creyke Beck / Neville’s Farm 39.2 39.2 74.9 74.9 114.1 114.1 requirements were also key to differentiating between the options. Therefore, it can be Killingholme South / Anderby Creek 65.8 65.3 46.9 48.9 112.7 114.2 concluded that the impact of these changes to onshore cable route length are not South Humber Bank / Anderby Creek 56.9 56.1 46.9 48.9 103.8 105.0 sufficient to tip the balance in favour of other options from an environmental Bicker Fen / Anderby Creek 55.7 57.4 46.9 48.9 102.6 106.3 perspective. The economic impact of the change to the onshore cable route and landfall assumptions are presented in Table 4-5 and the differences in the costs again do not result in a change to the original decision. Table 4-5 – Revised Costs for Shortlisted Onshore Interface Points 4.76 Finally, it is considered highly likely that the assumed routes to each of the other Original Capital Cost Estimate £m Revised Capital Cost Estimate £m* National National Grid Difference substation options would also have changed had they been subject to the same Interface Point Grid Electrical Electrical Total transmission Total vrs Bicker transmission Connection Connection consultation and detailed review as the route to Bicker Fen, resulting in either an system Fen system increase or a decrease to the overall route length assumption from that used in 2011. Creyke Beck substation 18.9 907.8 926.7 18.9 717.2 736.1 51.7 Noting the 3 per cent difference that arose for the Bicker Fen route, for completeness, Killingholme South (new) substation 87.2 879.7 966.9 87.2 704.0 791.2 106.9 the sensitivity of the overall ranking of the cost of options to variations in route length South Humber Bank substation 66.8 839.7 906.5 66.8 676.4 743.2 58.8 Bicker Fen substation 4.2 834.3 4.2 680.2 has been tested by adding or subtracting 5 per cent the original cable route distances. 838.5 684.4 _

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*Costs based on 2011 assumptions, reduced on pro rata basis for reduced capacity  the routing of the offshore cables from the offshore wind farm to a landfall on the Lincolnshire coast;  the location of the landfall; Table 4-6 –Interface Point Sensitivity to Changes in Cable Distance Distance (km) Cost (£)  the location of an Intermediate Electrical Compound (IEC) approximately Cost Total Cost midway along the entire cable route, which is required to provide compensation 5% 5% Cost Difference Onshore Difference Interface Point/ Landfall Onshore Longer Shorter Difference vrs Bicker for reactive power within the Electrical System; Interface vrs Bicker Distance Onshore Onshore vrs Bicker Fen if 5% Point Fen if 5%  Distance Distance Fen (£m) Shorter the routing of the onshore underground cable from the landfall to the Onshore Cost (£m) Longer (£m) (£m) Interface Point at Bicker Fen, via the IEC and the new Triton Knoll substation; Creyke Beck / Neville’s Farm 39.2 41.2 37.3 736.1 51.7 57.6 45.8  Killingholme South / Anderby Creek 65.3 68.6 62.0 791.2 106.9 116.6 97.0 the location of the Triton Knoll substation, being the substation which converts South Humber Bank / Anderby Creek 56.1 58.9 53.3 743.2 58.8 67.2 50.4 the voltage of the power exported by the offshore wind farm to that of the high Bicker Fen / Anderby Creek 57.4 _ _ 684.4 _ _ _ voltage electricity network (400 kV); Viking Interconnector Project  the routing of the 400 kV underground cable from the new Triton Knoll Substation to the existing National Grid Bicker Fen Substation; and 4.79 In October 2014 TKOWFL became aware of a project to interconnect the UK and Danish transmission systems. The project, named Viking, is being promoted by  works required at the exiting National Grid Bicker Fen Substation. National Grid Interconnector Holdings Ltd. At the time of application, TKOWFL is aware 4.82 The following sections describe the evolution of the Electrical System SSA. For the that National Grid Interconnector Holdings Ltd has a GCA with National Grid for an purposes of this chapter each project component is described sequentially from interconnector capacity of 1.2 GW at the existing National Grid Bicker Fen substation. offshore cable corridor (connecting the consented array and the Lincolnshire coast), to Until more information is placed into the public domain by the developer, it is not landfall, IEC, onshore cable corridor, the substation and finally the National Grid Bicker possible for TKOWFL to comment on the likely cumulative impacts of this project Fen Substation and 400 kV cables. In reality the approach taken to site selection was alongside TKES. TKOWFL will keep up to date with information as it is released, but at holistic across the project components with some inter-dependencies between present there is no indication of the consenting programme or timescales for the Viking components. An example of this was that the establishment of the IEC and onshore Interconnector Project. cable route are inter-dependent and as a result the selection of these was done in Site Selection Assessment tandem as an iterative process, the detail of which is contained in the SS&DR and summarised below. 4.80 Following completion of the Interface Selection Assessment and the selection of the Stage 1 - Offshore Cable Route Selection existing National Grid Bicker Fen substation, TKOWFL commenced a site selection process to identify and refine alternatives for the Electrical System. The SSA built on Area of Search definition the conclusions of the ISA by making use of the engineering, technical and environmental appraisal that had been undertaken. However, more detail was required 4.83 A comprehensive assessment of the offshore constraints that are located between the enable a clearer understanding of important considerations in identifying the most TKOWF array and the Lincolnshire coastline was undertaken as part of the Interface appropriate place to site the infrastructure. Consultation was undertaken with statutory Selection Assessment (ISA), described in Application Document 8.18 Interface bodies, landowners and the public to ensure that their knowledge could be used to Selection Assessment Report. At the time of establishing the broad offshore cable influence the evaluation of options when viable zones had been identified. The SSA corridor, the process to identify the landfall (described in Stage 2 below) was process is set out in detail in the SS&DR (Application Document 8.17). sufficiently progressed to determine that the landfall would be in the vicinity of Anderby Creek. As shown on Figure 4-7, there were two landfalls in this area that were 4.81 This section sets out the key alternatives considered and the main reasons for identified in the ISA as potentially being suitable, Anderby Creek and Beeches Farm. decisions made in relation to them. The site selection process includes the choice of fundamental aspects of the TKES:

4-15 Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Ltd Triton Knoll Electrical System Environmental Statement - Volume 1

4.84 An indicative offshore cable corridor from the TKOWF array to the potential landfalls at 4.90 As described above, the width of the cable ‘fan’ area, which widens from 1,000 m to Anderby Creek North and South was identified during the ISA. This corridor was approximately 8,000 m where it joins the array boundary, provides for the divergence identified from consideration of a significant number of offshore features and of cables to connect with the offshore substation and for micro-siting of cables to avoid constraints and was therefore considered appropriate for the same offshore corridor to natural features which present challenges to cable installation, such as the large sand be taken forward for more detailed assessment in the SSA. An offshore Cable Corridor waves which are characteristic of this area, ecological or anthropogenic features and Immediate Study Area was defined as a 1,600 m wide buffer centred on the corridor to other marine operations. Anderby Creek with a wider Area of Search which included a 5 km buffer. 4.91 TKOWFL wishes to maintain the flexibility regarding routing through the fan area until Operational requirements further geophysical, geotechnical and ecological surveys have been undertaken to inform the final project design. However, the cable corridor has been realigned to 4.85 The engineering assessment determined that the offshore export cable corridor would provide a separation distance of 250 m from Area 515/1 as shown in Figure 4-8. On- require a maximum width of 1,100 m to allow for up to 6 cable circuits with adequate going dialogue will be maintained with the aggregate operator to agree any further separation distances for safety, operation and maintenance and to allow for micrositing mitigation required once the final routing of the cable is determined. to avoid natural or anthropogenic features where necessary.

Site Selection analysis

4.86 Offshore geophysical, geotechnical and seabed habitat surveys were undertaken along the 1,600 m-wide offshore corridor along the same route as the offshore cable corridor to Anderby Creek identified in Figure 4-7. Following analysis of the data collected and consultation with relevant offshore stakeholders, the cable corridor was refined into a 1,100 m-wide offshore cable route for the statutory consultation. Following the selection of Anderby Creek North as the landfall location a widening of the study area in the nearshore and minor amendment to the cable corridor was required. 2014 Statutory S42 and S47 Consultation 4.87 Statutory consultation under the relevant sections of the Planning Act 2008 was undertaken in October to November 2014. The cable route consulted on is as shown in Figure 4-8. 4.88 Part of the consultation boundary to the south-east of the cable ‘fan’ area was co- incident with the boundary of Aggregate Area 515/1 (see Volume 2, Chapter 10) . In its consultation response the operator of this aggregate extraction area requested that the proposed TKES offshore cable route be re-located a minimum of 500 m from the aggregate area buffer or that a mitigation and compensation package be agreed between the two parties which recognises any limitation on aggregate extraction as a result of the proximity of the electrical cables to the aggregate area boundary. 4.89 It is typically a requirement within Agreements for Lease with The Crown Estate, which are required for the construction and operation of offshore wind farm projects and associated offshore transmission infrastructure, that a buffer of 250 m is maintained between offshore electricity cables and other relevant marine operations, including aggregate extraction.

4-16 490000 500000 510000 520000 530000 540000 550000 560000 570000 580000 590000 600000

Legend: ! Shortlisted NG substation

! Shortlisted landfall options SCUNTHORPE Potential Triton Knoll GRIMSBY

410000 onshore cable routes CLEETHORPES Potential Triton Knoll BRIGG offshore cable routes 400 kV transmission circuit 275 kV transmission circuit General location of Silver Pit (30m contour shown) 400000 $ $SPA RAMSAR " SAC

" # SSSI Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

390000 MARKET RASEN Major offshore pipelines LOUTH Offshore Wind Farm Projects: existing and proposed - 2011 MABLETHORPE Existing and proposed offshore wind farm export cable corridors Donna Nook Military Area (Live ordnance) 380000

Hutt/9/1 Hutt/2/3 Anchorage Area

Hutt/10/5

Hutt/10/4 AnderbyHutt/10/3 Hutt/965/ 1 Creek

Ande/964/1

Ande/17/1 Ande/17/2 Ande/17/3 Traffic Separation Scheme ALFORD Dredging areas

1

2 Triton Knoll Offshore Wind farm LINCOLN Beeches Farm

370000 HORNCASTLE Notes:- This map contains data from the following sources- Ordnance Survey UKHO NORTH HYKEHAM SPILSBY Coordinate System: British National Grid Projection: Transverse Mercator Datum: OSGB 1936 Units: Meter WOODHALL SPA SKEGNESS 360000

Source: Global Land Cover Facility, www.landcover.org. 350000

SLEAFORD 01 26.03.2015 First Draft NW GM KGC

Rev Date Description Drn Chk App BOSTON WELLS-NEXT-THE-SEA Triton Knoll Electrical System

North Ke ste ven Dist ric t Bost on Dis tric t (B) HUNSTANTON 340000 BICKER FEN SUBSTATIONSouth Ho lla nd Dis tri ct

GRANTHAM

TITLE: Figure 4-7 Triton Knoll Offshore Cable Routes showing two landfall options after ISA

330000 FAKENHAM

0 7 14

Kilometres / HOLBEACH SCALE: 1:350.000 @ A3 REV 01

SPALDING Document Path: D:\Maps_offshore\ProjectSpecificMaps\MajorProjects\15_UK_TritonKnoll\06_Interconnection\02_RWE\06_Site_Selection_Report\TK_1197_R2- Fig4pt7 Triton- Knoll Offshore Cable Routes showingtwo landfall options after ISA.mxd © Crown copyright, All rights reserved. 2014 License number 0100031673. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2014. © Crown Copyright, 2014. All rights reserved. License No. EK001-0561-MF0051. This product has been derived in part from material obtained from the UK Hydrographic Office with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office and UK Hydrographic Office (www.ukho.gov.uk). NOT TO BE USED FOR NAVIGATION 0°20'0"E 330000 0°30'0"E 340000 0°40'0"E 350000 0°50'0"E 360000 1°0'0"E 370000

Legend:

5940000 Offshore Order Limits - final submission Offshore Order Limits at PEI

53°30'0"N

5930000

5920000

Notes: - Coordinate System: WGS 1984 UTM Zone 31N Projection: Transverse Mercator Datum: WGS 1984 Units: Meter

53°20'0"N Source: Global Land Cover Facility, www.landcover.org.

5910000

01 01/04/2015 First Draft SL SL SL

Rev Date Description Drn Chk App

Triton Knoll Electrical System

TITLE: Figure 4-8 Triton Knoll Alternatives Assessment Changes to Offshore Order Limits since PEI

0 2.5 5 5900000 Kilometres / SCALE: 1:160,000 @ A3 REV 01 Document Path:C:\GIS Data\Projects\Triton Knoll Cable 2013-14\Triton Knoll Electrical System Post PEI\Maps\2014_12_GoBe_TKES_ES_Vol1Ch4_SSA_4_8.mxd

© Crown copyright, All rights reserved. 2014 License No. EK001-20140601. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2014. Not to be used for navigation. Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Ltd Triton Knoll Electrical System Environmental Statement - Volume 1

Stage 2 – landfall selection  the Gibraltar Point SPA and Ramsar; Operational requirements  Inner Dowsing Offshore Wind Farm;  Lynn Offshore Wind Farm; 4.92 TKOWFL identified that an area for the cable transition jointing bays of up to 100 m x  Lincs Offshore Wind Farm; 40 m just landward of the landfall point and a temporary construction area of around 80  m by 100 m would be required at the landfall. Race Bank Offshore Wind Farm; and  Docking Shoal Offshore Wind Farm. Area of search definition 4.95 A final landfall Area of Search of approximately 25 km was identified from Sandilands, 4.93 The landfall Area of Search drew on the detailed analysis conducted during the ISA immediately to the south of Sutton on Sea in the north to Gibraltar Point in the south. process which concluded that the appropriate Area of Search should be the This is shown bordered in blue in Figure 4-9. Lincolnshire coastline. The known infrastructure and environmental designations to the north were identified as significant constraints to a landfall to the north of Sandilands. These included:  the Easington Gas Terminals and their associated pipelines;  the Out Newton onshore Wind Farm;  Donna Nook Military Range;  North Coates Airfield;  Theddlethorpe Gas Terminal;  the extent of industrial and dense residential development;  the Humber Estuary SAC, SPA, Ramsar and site of special scientific interest (SSSI);  the Dimlington Cliff SSSI;  the Lagoons SSSI;  the Spurn National Nature Reserve (NNR);  the Spurn Head Heritage Coast;  the Tetney Marshes Royal Society Protection Bird (RSPB) Reserve;  the Donna Nook NNR; and  the Saltfleetby- Theddlethorpe Dunes SSSI and NNR.

4.94 Gibraltar point was identified as the southernmost extent possible due to the heavily designated and constrained Wash estuary, as considered at the Interface Selection Assessment Report. The known environmental designations and wind farm infrastructure which add further constraints in this area include:  the Wash and North Norfolk Coast SPA, SSSI, SAC and Ramsar site;  the Inner Dowsing, Race Bank and North Ridge SAC;

4-19 500000 510000 520000 530000 540000 550000 560000 570000 580000 590000 410000 Legend: Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm North East North Landfall Area of Search Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (B) (B) IEC Area of Search 5km Substation Area of Search

400000 Onshore Cable Areas of Search (! Interface Connection Point West Lindsey Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing District Marsh Target Area Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park National Trust Land Area of Great Landscape Value 390000 Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Nature Reserve Site of Special Scientific Interest Ramsar Site Special Area of Conservation 380000 Special Protected Area Administrative Boundary (District/Borough) East Lindsey District Lincoln District (B) 370000

Burgh le Notes:- Marsh This map contains data from the following sources- Ordnance Survey (2014); JNCC (2014) Coordinate System: British National Grid Projection: Transverse Mercator Datum: OSGB 1936 Units: Meter

Area of

360000 Search 1 Midville

Source: Global Land Cover Facility, www.landcover.org.

North Kesteven Area of District Search 2 350000

01 01/04/2015 First Draft SL SL SL Area of Search 3 Rev Date Description Drn Chk App Triton Knoll Electrical System Bicker Boston Fen NGET District 340000 Substation (B) North King's Lynn and Norfolk West Norfolk District TITLE: District (B) Figure 4-9 South Holland Triton Knoll Alternatives Assessment South District Areas of Search Kesteven District 0 4.5 9 Kilometres / 330000 SCALE: 1:300,000 @ A3 Breckland REV 01 District Document Path:C:\GIS Data\Projects\Triton Knoll Cable 2013-14\Triton Knoll Electrical System Post PEI\Maps\2014_12_GoBe_TKES_ES_Vol1Ch4_SSA_4_9.mxd © Crown copyright, All rights reserved. 2014 License No. EK001-20140601. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2014. Not to be used for navigation. Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Ltd Triton Knoll Electrical System Environmental Statement - Volume 1

Site selection analysis generations. The LCGM project has identified three target areas (Saltfleet, Huttoft and Burgh-le-Marsh) covering more than 9,000 ha in Lincolnshire. The project is made up 4.96 Although TKOWFL had considered potential landfalls in detail in the Interface Selection of a large number of organisations including, East Lindsey District Council (ELDC), Assessment, it was considered prudent to reassess the landfall options again within a English Heritage (EH), Environment Agency (EA), Heritage Trust for Lincolnshire smaller coastal range to address any potential changes in constraints. (HTL), Lincolnshire County Council (LCC), Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust (LWT), Lindsey 4.97 An initial review identified seventeen potential landfall options where an area of 100 m Marsh Drainage Board LMDB), National Farmers Union (NFU) and Natural England x 80 m was potentially available, Lan_A to Lan_Q, shown in Figure 4-10. These fell into (NE). The presence of the buried landfall infrastructure or the onshore cabling is not 3 study areas: considered to adversely impact on the establishment of coastal grazing marsh.  Study Area 1: Sandilands to Chapel St Leonards; 4.101 Zones Lan_C and Lan_D, known as Anderby Creek North and Anderby Creek South  Study Area 2: Ingoldmells; and respectively were identified as the preferred landfall locations within this zone. This was on the basis that these zones are away from local SSSIs in the area and have  Study Area 3: Gibraltar Point. limited development surrounding them. In addition, these areas also had available 4.98 TKOWFL subsequently applied constraints to the siting of transition joint bays and space inland for associated electrical infrastructure. temporary construction compounds (TCCs) related to impacts arising to and from Study Area 2: Ingoldmells tourism and leisure, local residents, extent of the intertidal zone and ecologically designated areas. The following were also key considerations: 4.102 The Ingoldmells landfall study area (zone references: Lan_H to Lan_M and shown in  the need for clear onshore cable route options 1 km from the landfall, to allow the detail in Figure 4-10b) is typified by the built up areas of Skegness and Ingoldmells. construction of the onshore transition joint bays and allow a minimum 750m The major constraints in this area are both tourist and leisure facilities as well as unconstrained cable run to feed the bay from the landside; and existing development. There are limited opportunities for cable routes from each of the presented landfall options. As such only the zone referenced Lan_H, known as  sea defences at the landfall. The cable may be required to pass below any sea Beeches Farm, was considered to present a potential landfall option within this zone. defences and locating the cable at greater depth can significantly reduce the power carrying capability of the cable. Study Area 3: Gibraltar Point

Study Area 1: Sandilands to Chapel St Leonards 4.103 The Gibraltar Point landfall study area (zone references: Lan_N to Lan_Q and shown in detail in Figure 4-10c) presented a number of options. The major constraints in this 4.99 The Sandilands to Chapel St Leonards landfall study area (Lan_A to Lan_G shown in area are associated with ecological designated areas and a wide intertidal zone. Of the detail in Figure 4-10a) presented a number of landfall opportunities that from a desk- landfall options available it was considered that only Lan-N, known as Seacroft, could based assessment were considered to be subject to a limited number of constraints. be a potential landfall point based on having the narrowest intertidal zone and therefore There are few residential properties within the area and the land behind the landfall a reduced impact on the intertidal ecological designations (SSSI, SPA, Ramsar and a option zones is mainly agricultural. It was noted that the area is being promoted by NNR) that would require management during construction. Lincolnshire County Council as the Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park (LCCP). However, this was not considered to represent a significant constraint to the siting of the landfall. The landfall infrastructure, with the exception of ground-level man-hole covers that are required at the landfall, is wholly buried below ground, hence the impacts on the LCCP resulting from the development would be temporary effects during the construction phase. 4.100 In addition, it was recognised that Huttoft Target Area for the Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marsh (LCGM) is located in this vicinity also. The LCGM project was formed in 2003 to conserve the heritage and wildlife of the Grazing Marshes for future

4-21 540000 550000 560000 570000

Legend: Landfall Area of Search

IEC Area of Search Shortlist Landfall Zones

Landfall Zones

380000 Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marsh Target Area Lan_A National Trust Land Lan_B Study Area 1: Sandilands to Chapel St Leonards Area of Great Landscape Value Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Lan_C: North Anderby Creek National Nature Reserve Site of Special Scientific Interest

Ramsar Site

Lan_D: South Anderby Creek Special Area of Conservation Lan_E Special Protected Area Lan_F Lan_G

Lan_H: Beeches Farm Lan_I 370000 Lan_J Study Area 2: Ingoldmells

Notes:- This map contains data from the following sources- Ordnance Survey (2014); JNCC (2014)

Lan_K Coordinate System: British National Grid Projection: Transverse Mercator Datum: OSGB 1936 Units: Meter Lan_L Lan_M

Source: Global Land Cover Facility, www.landcover.org.

01 01/04/2015 First Draft SL SL SL

Rev Date Description Drn Chk App

Study Area 3: Gibraltar Point Triton Knoll Electrical System Lan_N: Seacroft 360000 Lan_O Lan_P

Lan_Q TITLE: Figure 4-10 Triton Knoll Alternatives Assessment Landfall Options

0 1.5 3

Kilometres / SCALE: 1:100,000 @ A3 REV 01 Document Path:C:\GIS Data\Projects\Triton Knoll Cable 2013-14\Triton Knoll Electrical System Post PEI\Maps\2014_12_GoBe_TKES_ES_Vol1Ch4_SSA_4_10.mxd

© Crown copyright, All rights reserved. 2014 License No. EK001-20140601. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2014. Not to be used for navigation. 550000

Landfall Study Area: Sandilands to Chapel St Leonards Legend: Landfall Area of Search Lan_A IEC Area of Search Shortlist Landfall Zones Landfall Zones Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marsh Target Area BAP Habitat Lincolnshire Coastal Country Lan_B Park Roadside Nature Reserve Anderby Creek North (RNR) Local Wildlife Site (LWS) Site of Special Scientific Interest

Lan_C Anderby Creek North

Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, i-cubed, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GIS User Community

Notes:- This map contains data from the following sources- Ordnance Survey (2014); JNCC (2014)

Coordinate System: British National Grid Projection: Transverse Mercator Datum: OSGB 1936 Lan_D Units: Meter Anderby Creek South

Source: Global Land Cover Facility, www.landcover.org.

Lan_E

01 16/04/2015 First Draft SL SL SL

Rev Date Description Drn Chk App Anderby Creek South Triton Knoll Electrical System Lan_F

Lan_G TITLE: Figure 4-10a Triton Knoll Alternatives Assessment Landfall Options - Sandilands to Chapel St Leonards

0 0.4 0.8 Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, i-cubed, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AEX, Kilometres / Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GIS SCALE: 1:26,000 @ A3 User Community REV 01 Document Path:C:\GIS Data\Projects\Triton Knoll Cable 2013-14\Triton Knoll Electrical System Post PEI\Maps\2014_12_GoBe_TKES_ES_Vol1Ch4_SSA_4_10a_SLupdate.mxd

© Crown copyright, All rights reserved. 2014 License No. EK001-20140601. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2014. Not to be used for navigation. Landfall Study Area: Ingoldmells Legend: Landfall Area of Search Lan_H IEC Area of Search Beeches Shortlist Landfall Zones Farm Landfall Zones Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marsh Target Area Lan_I 370000 Beeches Farm

Lan_J

Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, i-cubed, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GIS User Community

Notes:- This map contains data from the following sources- Ordnance Survey (2014); JNCC (2014)

Coordinate System: British National Grid Projection: Transverse Mercator Datum: OSGB 1936 Lan_K Units: Meter

Source: Global Land Cover Facility, www.landcover.org.

01 01/04/2015 First Draft SL SL SL

Rev Date Description Drn Chk App

Triton Knoll Electrical System

Lan_L

TITLE: Figure 4-10b Triton Knoll Alternatives Assessment Landfall Options - Ingoldmells

0 0.25 0.5

Lan_M Kilometres / SCALE: 1:18,000 @ A3 REV 01 Document Path:C:\GIS Data\Projects\Triton Knoll Cable 2013-14\Triton Knoll Electrical System Post PEI\Maps\2014_12_GoBe_TKES_ES_Vol1Ch4_SSA_4_10b.mxd

© Crown copyright, All rights reserved. 2014 License No. EK001-20140601. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2014. Not to be used for navigation. Landfall Study Area: Gibraltar Point Legend: Landfall Area of Search IEC Area of Search Shortlist Landfall Zones Landfall Zones Seacroft National Nature Reserve Site of Special Scientific Interest Ramsar Site Special Area of Conservation

Lan_N Special Protected Area Seacroft

Lan_O 360000

Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, i-cubed, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GIS User Community

Lan_P

Notes:- This map contains data from the following sources- Ordnance Survey (2014); JNCC (2014)

Coordinate System: British National Grid Projection: Transverse Mercator Datum: OSGB 1936 Units: Meter Lan_Q

Source: Global Land Cover Facility, www.landcover.org.

01 01/04/2015 First Draft SL SL SL

Rev Date Description Drn Chk App

Triton Knoll Electrical System

TITLE: Figure 4-10c Triton Knoll Alternatives Assessment Landfall Options - Gibraltar Point

0 0.25 0.5

Kilometres / SCALE: 1:18,500 @ A3 REV 01 Document Path:C:\GIS Data\Projects\Triton Knoll Cable 2013-14\Triton Knoll Electrical System Post PEI\Maps\2014_12_GoBe_TKES_ES_Vol1Ch4_SSA_4_10c.mxd

© Crown copyright, All rights reserved. 2014 License No. EK001-20140601. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2014. Not to be used for navigation. Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Ltd Triton Knoll Electrical System Environmental Statement - Volume 1

4.104 Therefore, the initial longlist was reduced down to the following shortlist of four zones: including two rare species. As a result of this ecological interest, development at Lan_C – Anderby Creek North Anderby Creek South would need to be restricted to certain times to avoid impacts on these species. This would significantly extend the overall construction period. Lan_D – Anderby Creek South 4.109 The area at Anderby Creek South between the beach/ dunes and Roman Bank is Lan_H – Beeches Farm owned by Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust (LWT) and is a Local Wildlife Site. LWT advised of Lan_N – Seacroft its plans to enhance the wildlife value of the area by creating seasonally and permanently flooded areas similar to the Wolla Bank Reedbed area. LWT was 4.105 Each of the four shortlisted landfalls was then considered further from an engineering consulted and were unable to agree to the cable transition jointing bays being located perspective and how this might contribute to environmental impacts: on this land. This, coupled with the need to avoid impacts on the protected bird Anderby Creek North and Anderby Creek South species, meant that the Anderby Creek South landfall would require the transition pits to be located in the fields to the west of Roman Bank. Such a solution would require 4.106 Anderby Creek North and Anderby Creek South were initially considered to be the cables to be buried from the beach or below the intertidal zone, underneath the relatively similar when identifying engineering constraints. Both zones are directly dunes, the LWT land and Roman Bank to then come up in the arable fields to the west behind the dunes / scrub land zone adjacent to the beach and direct access to the of Roman Bank. This would necessitate a very long trenchless crossing technique of foreshore is available. There appeared to be no physical constraint to directional several hundred metres. From an engineering perspective, this posed a far greater drilling or other landfall methods and in addition both zones’ location, geology and challenge than the option at Anderby Creek North and would significantly increase topography are suitable for landfall. Anderby Creek North has an existing farm track construction duration, cost and risk. which runs east – west centrally through the area giving access to the beach from 4.110 TKOWFL also held discussions with Lincolnshire County Council, LWT and East Roman Bank. Anderby Creek North is closer to residential properties and a caravan Lindsey District Council regarding the impacts on the Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing park than Anderby Creek South. It is also in the vicinity of a car park to the north which Marshes (LCGM) project area (in particular the LCGM Huttoft Target Area within which is used for access to the beach. There is also a Local Wildlife Site (LWS), the boundary both of the landfall options at Anderby Creek are located) (as discussed in 4.100 of which partially overlaps with arable field behind the dunes. above), as well as the proposed LCCP (as discussed in 4.99 above). The boundaries 4.107 Anderby Creek South is adjacent to both geological and ecological SSSIs (100 m to of these features are shown on Figure 4-10a. the south) sited for reed bed growth. These SSSIs are related to (historic) clay 4.111 Further information on construction methodologies and mitigation that TKES will seek workings that over time have established ecological quality and hence designation. A to implement to minimise impacts on existing LCGM habitat can be found in Application little further to the south (300 m) a further SSSI (Chapel Point to Wolla Bank) Document 8.8. associated with “earth heritage” is present. 4.112 In addition, preliminary investigation identified the possible presence of a seawall with 4.108 Ecological data from surveys at Anderby Creek South revealed the presence of a pair piled foundations to the south of Anderby Creek, whereas the landfall north of Anderby of breeding marsh harriers that nest in the centre of the coastal strip. Marsh Harriers Creek apparently did not. A crossing under the dunes at Anderby Creek South under are an Annex 1 species3 and are therefore highly protected, especially during the the piles had the potential to reduce the electrical carrying capacity of the cable and breeding season. Avoiding impacts on these birds would require significant restrictions indicated Anderby Creek North would be a more economic and efficient solution. during the optimal construction periods. In addition, there are barn owl and Cetti’s 4 Warbler, both of which are also Schedule 1 species , and a high level of bat activity Beeches Farm

4.113 The Beeches Farm zone is separated from the foreshore by a vegetated sea defence bund approximately 15 m wide with a concrete access way on the seaward side protecting the toe of the bund. Subject to the depth of the concrete defences a 3 Species appears on Annex 1 of the EC Birds Directive trenchless crossing would be required beneath the bund, the promenade and access 4 Species appears on Schedule 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 way. However, if the concrete protection is of a depth that prevents a trenchless crossing from passing beneath and surfacing on the beach then apertures in the

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concrete defences would have to be either cored or stitch drilled prior to the trenchless Seacroft crossing technique being deployed. Alternatively a section of the sea defence could be 4.121 Seacroft was found to present a number of challenges relating to the management of temporarily removed and then reinstated after the cables / ducts have been laid. construction in the associated environmentally designated area. Construction is likely 4.114 As seen in the inset photograph in Figure 4-10b, Beeches Farm is constrained by a to require trenchless crossing from the shoreline under a designated salt marsh zone caravan site. Removal of caravans and disruption during the construction process was and beneath the golf course to the preferred transition bay site. A directional drill length expected to result in an unacceptable level of impact and inconvenience. The zone of approximately 1 km would be required which is on the limit of engineering feasibility; area is approximately 1 km from the A52, but access through Beeches Farm along multiple bores of circa 800 mm diameter and the presence of gravel deposits in the Trunch Lane and the Promenade would be disruptive and difficult for large vehicles substrata further increase drilling risk at this location. and apparatus. Due to space requirements and surrounding land use (caravan parks) 4.122 Access to the Seacroft zone would need to be established from the A52 either through construction impacts such as noise and public safety would need to be managed Skegness or via Toll Bar Road, both of which may have issues for access for large appropriately. In addition the installation of any cable would sterilise land previously vehicles and apparatus. There is also no direct access to the foreshore from the occupied by caravans as it would not be possible to put the hard standing needed for Seacroft zone and a route over 3 km around the existing golf course would be required static caravans above the buried cables. to access the beach in front of the zone. The issues associated with access and 4.115 Discussions were held with the local caravan park owners to determine the feasibility of landfall at an area with many environmental designations was considered a significant installing the landfall infrastructure and cable route in this area, during which the risk compared with the other options at Anderby Creek and Beeches Farm. intentions of the owners to expand the area of the caravan park were made clear. 4.123 Of the four landfall options, Seacroft presented the most significant environmental 4.116 The nearest environmentally designated area to Beeches Farm is over 9 km away. issues associated with designated areas (Important Bird Areas, NNR, SPA, Ramsar, However, the impacts arising from works near to, or the removal of, elements of the SSSI, SAC and Local Nature Reserves), which would be expected to cause a range of caravan park were considered a significant constraint, as was the risk to directional issues during the consenting and construction process. In particular there would be drilling as a result of a substantial sea defence structure. potential for significant impacts upon birds (the area is internationally important for 4.117 Subsequent studies concluded that although the onshore cable route from a landfall at seventeen species of bird), as well as seals and a variety of saltmarsh, mudflat and Beeches Farm (between Ingoldmells and Chapel St. Leonards) to the connection point other habitats. at Bicker Fen would be the shortest, the zone was subject to a number of significant 4.124 This landfall did not secure a more advantageous onshore cable route. This coupled constraints. with the longer and more challenging offshore cable route meant that there were no 4.118 The necessary trenchless crossing technique would be relatively short provided the rig wider infrastructure benefits to the Seacroft landfall. site could be located close to the sea defence bank. However, this is in an area 4.125 On this basis Seacroft was considered significantly less suitable than the other occupied by a static caravan park with a limited area was identified between individual alternatives and was therefore not progressed further. plots to the north and south. The space between the caravan parks is occupied by a pond and an area of scrubland which is a coastal conservation zone separating the two Conclusion areas of caravans. 4.126 In comparison to Beeches Farm and Seacroft, the two landfall options at Anderby 4.119 The zone constraints indicate that the trenchless crossing would need to be situated Creek appeared to more suitable despite the slightly longer overall cable route. within the caravan park and would therefore cause a significant amount of disruption to Anderby Creek North has potentially the shortest trenchless crossing length under the the park and the adjacent beach. dunes of the landfall options; and access to both the drill site and the beach at Anderby 4.120 In addition, piled sea defences were identified at this location so cables would have to Creek North is relatively simple. Ecologically this option is preferable and any impacts be laid at greater depth. The trenchless crossing depths required, at up to 12 m deep, on residents and on beach users would be minimal and temporary. An offshore cable could considerably reduce the carrying capacity of the cable. Depending on soil alignment and burial study and an offshore geophysical survey confirmed that a route conditions this reduction could be up to 20 per cent or greater and would therefore not to Anderby Creek North would be preferred as it avoids an area with two dangerous be an economic and efficient option. wrecks (Marine Historic Environment, ES Chapter (Volume 2, Chapter 11).

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4.127 Although Anderby Creek lies within the proposed LCCP and the Huttoft Target Area for estates (for example at Alford). In addition it was considered that the above-ground the LCGM, impacts would only be temporary during the period of cable installation and infrastructure would not be appropriate in the sensitive areas of the Lincolnshire Wolds the long term aims of the park would not be affected by either the Anderby Creek North Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and so the Area of Search for the IEC or Anderby Creek South options. avoided this area. 4.128 The landfall at Anderby Creek North was identified as the most suitable landfall zone 4.134 The IEC area of search included potential landfalls at Anderby Creek North, Anderby and taken forward as the chosen landfall location. Creek South and Beeches Farm, but not Seacroft (which had been discounted from the shortlist earlier on). It excluded the coastal areas closest to The Wash, which (with a Stage 3 - Intermediate Electrical Compound Selection landfall at either Anderby or Beeches Farm) would present a significant deviation from 4.129 The site selection process for the IEC was intrinsically linked to the onshore cable the shortest route to the Bicker Fen substation. The IEC area of search can be seen in route site selection; for example a key differentiator of the IEC site selection process Figure 4-9 was the onshore cable corridor shortlist. The following section focuses primarily on the Site selection analysis IEC in isolation, cross-referencing to the more detailed cable route selection process detailed within Stage 4 below. Zone Screening and the Development of the Longlist

Operational requirements 4.135 The first stage in the process for selecting the IEC was to identify potential development zones by gathering environmental information and establishing some 4.130 Initially, the spatial requirements of the IEC were established as having a footprint of up high level screening criteria. These were used to develop a longlist of IEC zones. A to 3 ha. This was reduced to a footprint of up to 1.8 ha when the capacity of the project desk based study mapped the primary constraints within the Area of Search which was reduced. could affect the potential development of the area and/or the siting of the IEC. The 4.131 The optimum position for the IEC is at the cable route midpoint (of the combined primary constraints included international and national environmental designations and offshore and onshore cables). Beyond this distance the effectiveness of the reactive major transport links. compensation deteriorates, resulting in more equipment needing to be located at both 4.136 The following constraints were identified within the IEC Area of Search, utilising readily the offshore and onshore substations. This would significantly increase cost, reduce available information held within the public domain and information held by RWE operability and potentially increase environmental impacts. In addition, placing more Innogy UK from previous investigations and engineering studies. National Grid has plant offshore rather than onshore increases health, safety and environmental risks developed the Horlock Rules which provides guidance on the design and siting of during operation. In order for the system to be economic and efficient, the IEC must be substations with regard to protecting and enhancing the environment. TKOWFL has located at a distance no further than 18 km along the planned onshore cable route from applied these principles to our own site selection work. High-level (primary) statutory the landfall. 18 km from the landfall was therefore a hard technical constraint for the constraint information (as listed in the ‘Horlock Rules’) was mapped on a GIS system location of the IEC. including:

Area of search definition  National Parks (National);  Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) (National); 4.132 The Area of Search for IEC sites is defined by the functionality of the IEC infrastructure. As explained above, there is a technical requirement for the reactive  Heritage Coasts (National); compensation equipment to be located along the cable route no further than 18 km  World Heritage Sites (WHS) (National); from the landfall. The boundaries of the IEC Area of Search were therefore determined  Ramsar sites (International); by this technical constraint.  SAC (International); 4.133 Despite requiring a longer cable route, following a request from East Lindsey District Council (ELDC) to consider brownfield (previously developed) sites the Area of Search  SPA (International); was extended to the north to include potentially suitable areas such as industrial  SSSI (National);

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 NNR (National); Conversely, if it is too optimistic (too small) it may result in a chosen zone being too close to properties or requiring excessive noise mitigation equipment. A 35 dB(A)  Registered Parks and Gardens (National); threshold limit was set, with reference to WHO guidelines BS 4142 and BS 8233, to  Scheduled Monuments (National); minimise impacts on receptors.  Listed buildings (National); and 4.142 Advice was procured on the noise buffer from an equipment supplier (Siemens) which  Areas of Ancient Woodland. used an indicative equipment list to generate a ‘reasonably mitigated’ noise scenario. It was deemed reasonable to assume a -15 dB benefit could be achieved from on-site 4.137 No National Park, Heritage Coast or WHS are located within the IEC Area of Search. mitigation such as acoustic barriers and enclosures, allowing the 565 m ‘unmitigated’ 4.138 Areas identified with opportunities to site the IEC (or not identified as including primary noise buffer to be reduced to 310 m. Prior to undertaking an environmental noise constraints) were investigated further using secondary information. Aerial photography survey, it was conservatively assumed that noise levels in the vicinity of the IEC are and/ or Google Earth were used to ‘prove’ any potential constraints to potential IEC ‘very low’ (as described in British Standard BS 4142) at 310 m from the IEC and below zones. the 35dB(A) limit. Commercial or industrial properties were not screened out in this 4.139 Secondary constraints were mapped within the identified areas potentially suitable for manner because less stringent noise limits apply to those properties. locating the IEC. This used information held within the public domain. Secondary 4.143 Taking into account all the primary, secondary and technical constraints, all identified constraints included the following, where available: zones were screened for the following hard constraints:  Local Geology Sites;  Groundwater Special Protection Zones;  LWS;  a maximum of 18 km distance from the landfall (at the time of the  Local Nature Reserves; commencement of this work, the landfall options included Anderby Creek North, Anderby Creek South and Beeches Farm); and  National Trust Land;  adherence to the 310 m noise buffer.  Avoiding higher grade agricultural land; 4.144 No listed buildings are located within any of the identified zones and none of the sites  Sites of Nature Conservation Importance; are located in a Conservation Area. Whilst the Conservation Areas at Spilsby, Burgh le  Conservation Areas; Marsh and Wainfleet All Saints were avoided, the potential for impacts on the settings of these Conservation Areas was considered.  Landfill & Mineral Extraction Sites; 4.145 A ‘long list’ of 29 zones was identified through this the desktop exercise and these are  Areas of flood risk (EA Flood Zones 2 and 3) from coastal, fluvial and seen in Figure 4-11 and found in Table 4-7. other sources;  Groundwater source protection zones; and  Information from the Local Plan. 4.140 Although built up areas were avoided due to proximity to large numbers of residential and other similar receptors, in landscape terms some preference was ascribed to locations close to existing development such as industrial areas and areas of existing built infrastructure. 4.141 In addition to the above, a buffer of 310 m (exclusion distance) was applied from all known residential properties (based on post code data) to avoid significant operational noise impacts at nearby properties. The accuracy of the noise buffer is important because if it is too conservative (too large) it will rule out potentially viable zones.

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380000 Legend: IEC Area of Search Longlisted IEC Zones Int_A Int_B Shortlist Landfall Zones Preferred IEC Connector Corridor Int_C Int_D Lan_C: Anderby Creek North Onward Cable Area of Search Int_E National Trust Land Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park Lan_D: Anderby Creek South Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marsh Int_F Target Area Area of Great Landscape Value Int_G Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Nature Reserve Site of Special Scientific Interest Int_H Int_I Ramsar Site Special Protected Area Int_J Special Area of Conservation East Int_L Administrative Boundary Lindsey Int_K (District/Borough) District Int_M 370000 Int_N Int_O Int_Q Int_P

Int_R Int_S

Notes:- This map contains data from the following sources- Ordnance Surevy (2014) Int_T Coordinate System: British National Grid Projection: Transverse Mercator Burgh le Datum: OSGB 1936 Units: Meter Marsh Int_U

Int_V Int_X Int_W Int_Z Source: Global Land Cover Facility, www.landcover.org. Int_Y Int_ZA Int_ZB

01 01/04/2015 First Draft SL SL SL Int_ZC Rev Date Description Drn Chk App 360000 Triton Knoll Electrical System

Area of Search 2

Midville TITLE: Figure 4-11 Triton Knoll Alternatives Assessment IEC Longlist zones

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© Crown copyright, All rights reserved. 2014 License No. EK001-20140601. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2014. Not to be used for navigation. Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Ltd Triton Knoll Electrical System Environmental Statement - Volume 1

Development of the Shortlist the hamlet of Midville to the south of the IEC Area of Search. This is shown on Figure 4.146 The next step was to review the longlist and develop a shortlist of feasible zones that 4-11. would be the subject of consultation. Site visits to the longlisted zones were undertaken 4.151 TKOWFL proceeded on the general basis that a longer cable route increases capital by a team which included ecology and landscape specialists. and installation cost, increases construction duration and also elevates the likelihood of 4.147 An assessment of landscape and visual factors was undertaken derived from a environmental impacts and technical issues arising. In addition, it was recognised that desktop (mapping) exercise and a vantage point survey, taking account of: the overall cable route distance is at the bounds of what has been achieved globally with similar technology to date. Increasing distance has implications for the maximum  The landscape character of the zone and its surroundings; power transfer that can be achieved and the quantity of reactive compensation . the presence of established landscape features such as equipment required. The combination of these issues means that minimising cable mature hedgerows and woodlands; route distance is a vital component in the system being economic and efficient. Hence, while increasing route length can be justified to avoid specific environmental or . the topography of the zone and its surroundings; engineering constraints, or taking advantage of potentially advantaged locations such . the presence or lack of built features and tall structures; as industrial sites, the starting point was to secure the shortest cable route length. . the proximity to Lincolnshire Wolds AONB and potential for Overall cable route length was therefore an important consideration for the IEC Zone effects to the special qualities or sensitive receptors within the Selection. AONB. 4.152 Where a zone was located outside of the Preferred IEC Connector Corridor, described . the coastal conservation zone; above, the additional cabling distance that would result was calculated. A maximum threshold of 5 km was applied on the basis that the additional cable distance would add . areas of great landscape value (AGLV). to the overall cable length and the 18 km constraint could be exceeded. Therefore, any  The visual context, including number, location and proximity of sensitive zones that resulted in more than 5 km of additional cable length were screened out. visual receptors and the nature of views; and The adoption of the 5 km threshold was considered appropriate by TKOWFL, striking a  The potential to provide effective landscape and visual mitigation that balance between site selection flexibility, minimising environmental impacts and would be in keeping with the local landscape and visual character and maintaining an economic and efficient system. It was similarly applied to the Substation context. site selection assessment. 4.148 Further desk-based information was gathered about flood risk, ecology, agricultural 4.153 Further evaluation was undertaken on each of the IEC Zones to create shortlist of land classification and nationally designated archaeological sites. During the zones. Factors that were considered during the shortlisting process were: assessment of the longlisted IEC zones, tourism-related issues were taken into . Design, Installation, Operation & Maintenance; account including the LCCP, the LCGM Target Areas, public rights of way, caravan . Commercial; sites and distance to the coast. . Health and Safety; 4.149 In parallel to exploring IEC zones, the cable route alternatives assessment was underway. The landfall assessment determined that the landfall would be located at . Legal and landowner issues; either Anderby Creek North or South. This therefore informed the onshore cable . Landscape; corridor studies. Further, at this stage TKOWFL had selected Area of Search (as . Cable Route Distance; shown on Figures 4-9 and 4-10) for the preferred study area, identifying the ‘Onward Cable Corridor’, a cable corridor between the IEC Area of Search and the Substation . Flood risk; Area of Search. . Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marsh; 4.150 In addition, a 1 km-wide ‘Preferred IEC Connector Corridor’ was identified from the . Ecology; landfall at Anderby Creek, to the south of Burgh le Marsh, to a point in the vicinity of . Agricultural Land Classification;

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. Tourism; and . Nationally Designated Archaeological Sites. 4.154 A map showing the longlist of IEC zones is illustrated on Figure 4-11 and the results of the assessment of each of the 29 longlisted zones is shown below at Table 4-7. Figure 4-12 shows the longlisted zones in relation to flood zones. The detailed matrix that presents to scores for each of the zones is shown in Appendix A of the SS&DR (Application Document 8.17).

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Table 4-7 IEC Longlist Evaluation Matrix Summary Zone ID Zone Location Additional Cable Flood Zone Summary Ranking Shortlist? Distance Zone Int_A NE of Aliby 1 14 1  Excessive cable distance 25 Exceeds 5km route length threshold so  Very open landscape, large fields, few hedgerows, windmill and church spires visible dismissed  Views may be possible from the AONB ridges to the south and west  Tothby Manor is a potential receptor  Flood Zone 1. Int_B NE of Thoresthorpe 11.2 1/3  Excessive cable distance 7 Exceeds 5km route length threshold so  Relatively open and exposed landscape but undulating, located in a slight dip with several large dismissed barns present at distance within the landscape  Flood Zone 1 and 3 Int_C NE of Ailby 2 13.8 1  Excessive cable distance 17 Exceeds 5km route length threshold so  Relatively enclosed, woodland and hedges present providing good screening. Generally flat, dismissed wider landscape gently undulating  Flood Zone 1 Int_D SE of Asserby 5.6 Mostly 3  Fairly flat with some copses and smaller woodland blocks that break up the landscape (not 27 Exceeds 5km route length threshold so suitable as screening). dismissed  There are relatively few visual receptors  Mostly Flood Zone 3 Int_E E of Huttoft 1.1 3  Fairly flat with woodland, copses and hedge lines that break up the landscape 20  Woodland block provide partial screening to the village of Huttoft  Flood Zone 3  Close to tourist areas  Within Lincolnshire Country Park Int_F Farlesthorpe Fen 5.75 3  Zone very open and on rise and visible Bilsby and Thurlby 29 Exceeds 5km route length threshold so  Flood Zone 1 dismissed Int_G Mawthorpe 1 7.5 1  Zone located in a slight dip with large barn to the NW 22 Exceeds 5km route length threshold so  Located relatively close to the AONB and AGLV – potential views into the zone dismissed  Flood Zone 1 Int_H Mawthorpe 2 7.5 Mostly 1  Zone located in a slight dip with large barn to the NW 26 Exceeds 5km route length threshold so  Located relatively close to the AONB and AGLV – potential views into the zone. dismissed  Mostly Flood Zone 1.

Int_I N of Sloothby 4.90 3  Zone in Flood Zone 3 28  Potential for electricity lines on or close to the zone boundary  Poor access likely Int_J Ashley’s Field 0.2 3  Opportunity to screen using existing mature hedgerows at 3-5m high 2 NOT SHORTLISTED:  Flood Zone 3. Presence of an airfield which would have  Zone scored highly on all criteria other than flood risk resulted in safety issues and would have required relocating which was not deemed feasible/reasonable. Int_K E of Sloothby 0.3 3  Arable with copses and hedgerows, fields relatively well partitioned and enclosed 8  Very few receptors to the south  Flood Zone 3  Close to tourist areas

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Zone ID Zone Location Additional Cable Flood Zone Summary Ranking Shortlist? Distance Zone Int_L Welton Woods 5.5 1  Undulating topography, woodland blocks and hedgerows 22 Exceeds 5km route length threshold so  Close to the AONB and AGLV dismissed  In Flood Zone 1 Int_M E of Slackholme 3.23 3  The zone comprises flat, open arable fields with occasional hedgerows and with low level 14 End woodland screening  Flood Zone 3 Int_N Wyche 0.3 3 16 Zone not progress due to potential for conflict with Orby Marsh Wind Farm Int_O Skegness Stadium 0 3  Zone comprises a mix of small and large sized arable fields and contains a network of field 1 SHORTLISTED: drains High landscape score due to Grain Store  Wind turbines and amusement park also visible (c15m) and Stadium within zone, and  Potential screening opportunities from existing woodland/hedgerow features chicken / pig sheds/coniferous plantation to  In Flood Zone 3 the south and opportunity to screen from natural hedge line and trees Int_P East of Stadium 0 3  Stadium/Grain Store located to east, and chicken / pig sheds/coniferous plantation to the south  Wind turbines and amusement park also visible  Very open views to the north with some woodland screening to the south 11  In Flood Zone 3  Closer to properties that adjacent alternatives Int_Q N of Orby 2.2 Mostly 3  Dense mature woodland on three sides which would offer some mitigation 12  Close proximity to AONB and AGLV  Potential views from Boothby Hall, Boothby Grange and Orby.  Mostly in Flood Zone 3

Int_R Marsh House 0.5 3  Some developed hedgerows in generally open landscape 9  Little opportunity for natural screening  Flood Zone 3 Int_S South of Stadium 0.8 3  Stadium/Grain Store located to north, and chicken / pig sheds/coniferous plantation to the east 18  Wind turbines and amusement park also visible  Very open views to the north with some woodland screening to the south In Flood Zone 3  Very close to properties to the south Int_T W of Home Farm 0 3  The Zone lies directly adjacent to the A158 13  Lies with the LCGM – Burgh-le-Marsh Target Area  Unlikely to provide sufficient space to be taken forward Int_U E of Burgh-le-Marsh 0.8 3  The zone comprises flat, smaller arable fields occasional low level hedgerows and woodland 19 screening.  Flood Zone 3  Lies with the LCGM – Burgh-le-Marsh Target Area Int_V Landfill 2.6 3  The zone comprises flat, open arable fields and to the immediate south is an operational landfill, 21 which forms an undulating landform in an otherwise flat landscape.  Immediately north lies the Burgh Road Trading Estate and a number of caravan parks  Flood Zone 3  Lies with the LCGM – Burgh-le-Marsh Target Area

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Zone ID Zone Location Additional Cable Flood Zone Summary Ranking Shortlist? Distance Zone  Close to tourist areas. Int_W Middlemarsh 2.6 3  The zone comprises flat, open arable fields and to the immediate east is an operational landfill, 4 SHORTLISTED: Landfill which forms an undulating landform in an otherwise flat landscape Due to potential for the landfill to provide a  Landfill provides an opportunity to screen the infrastructure when viewed from the east. visual screen  Lies with the LCGM – Burgh-le-Marsh Target Area  Flood Zone 3 Int_X The Hollies 1 0 1  Wind turbines existing significant vertical feature with Pylons 5 NOT SHORTLISTED:  Some landscape screening to three sides (apart from roadside) Space and operational constraints due to  Flood Zone 1 solar farm  In LCGM – Burgh-le-Marsh Target Area  Long distance from landfall reduced cable score due to the reactive compensation threshold

Int_Y SE of Burgh-le- 0.8 3  Topography generally flat, open landscape with views available from Conservation Area 10 Marsh (windmill and church in Burgh-le-Marsh)  Situated in Flood Zone 3  Located in the LCGM – Burgh-le-Marsh Target Area Int_Z The Hollies 2 0 3  Wind turbines existing significant vertical feature with Pylons in distance 6  Some landscape screening to three sides (apart from roadside)  Flood Zone 3  In LCGM – Burgh-le-Marsh Target Area  Long distance from landfall reduced cable score due to the reactive compensation threshold Int_ZA Wainfleet Industrial 5.9 3  Opportunity to locate in proximity to more industrial and retail setting and so scored highly 3 SHORTLISTED: Estate despite views from road, railway and open fields To provide an option with a more industrial  Closer to tourist area setting despite exceeding 5km threshold  Long distance from landfall reduced cable score due to the reactive compensation threshold Int_ZB The Hundreds 0 3  Open large scale fields, pylons and wind turbines providing vertical features 15  Caravan park to the south east but relatively few residential receptors.  In Flood Zone 3  In LCGM– Burgh-le-Marsh Target Area  Long distance from landfall reduced cable score due to the reactive compensation threshold Int_ZC Kitchens Yard 11.8 3  Close to Gibraltar point designations 24  Close to technical 18km threshold  Exceeds 5km route length threshold so dismissed

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380000 Legend: IEC Area of Search Longlisted IEC Zones Int_A Int_B Shortlist Landfall Zones Preferred IEC Connector Corridor Int_C Int_D Lan_C: Anderby Creek North Onward Cable Area of Search Int_E Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park Area of Great Landscape Value Lan_D: Anderby Creek South Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Int_F National Nature Reserve Site of Special Scientific Interest Int_G Ramsar Site Special Protected Area Special Area of Conservation Int_H Int_I Flood Zone 3 Int_J Flood Zone 2 Administrative Boundary East Int_L (District/Borough) Lindsey Int_K District Int_M 370000 Int_N Int_O Int_Q Int_P

Int_R Int_S

Notes:- This map contains data from the following sources- Ordnance Surevy (2014) Int_T Coordinate System: British National Grid Projection: Transverse Mercator Burgh le Datum: OSGB 1936 Units: Meter Marsh Int_U

Int_V Int_X Int_W Int_Z Source: Global Land Cover Facility, www.landcover.org. Int_Y Int_ZA Int_ZB

01 01/04/2015 First Draft SL SL SL Int_ZC Rev Date Description Drn Chk App 360000 Triton Knoll Electrical System

Area of Search 2

Midville TITLE: Figure 4-12 Triton Knoll Alternatives Assessment IEC Longlist zones Flood Zones

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4.155 The three shortlisted zones were:  Skegness Stadium (zone code: Int_O) – (subsequently named the Red Zone and reduced in size);  Wainfleet Industrial Estate (zone code: Int_ZA) – (subsequently named the Brown Zone); and  Middlemarsh landfill Zone (zone code: Int_W) – (subsequently named the Yellow Zone). 4.156 The shortlisted zones are identified on Figure 4-13. This figure also identifies the IEC Connector Corridor with branches to the shortlisted IEC zones by applying similar design principles used to define the initial IEC Connector Corridor. This cable route was part of the 2013 Alternatives Consultation, the results of which are detailed in the Alternatives Assessment Report appended to the SS&DR (Application Document 8.17, Appendix B).

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380000 Legend:

IEC Area of Search Shortlisted IEC Zones

2013 IEC Consultation Zones Lan_C: Anderby Creek North Yellow Zone Brown Zone Red Zone 2013 Onshore Cable Consultation Lan_D: Anderby Creek South Corridors Shortlist Landfall Zones Area of Great Landscape Value Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty National Nature Reserve Site of Special Scientific Interest Ramsar Site Special Protected Area Special Area of Conservation East National Trust Land Lindsey District Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marsh Target Area 370000 Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park Int_O Administrative Boundary Skegness (District/Borough) Stadium

Notes:- This map contains data from the following sources- Ordnance Surevy (2014) Coordinate System: British National Grid Projection: Transverse Mercator Burgh le Datum: OSGB 1936 Units: Meter Marsh Int_W Middlemarsh Landfill

Source: Global Land Cover Facility, www.landcover.org.

Int_ZA Wainfleet Industrial 01 01/04/2015 First Draft SL SL SL

Estate Rev Date Description Drn Chk App 360000 Triton Knoll Electrical System

Area of Search 2

Midville TITLE: Figure 4-13 Triton Knoll Alternatives Assessment IEC Shortlisted Zones

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© Crown copyright, All rights reserved. 2014 License No. EK001-20140601. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2014. Not to be used for navigation. Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Ltd Triton Knoll Electrical System Environmental Statement - Volume 1

2013 Alternatives Consultation 4.163 All statutory, non-statutory and public consultation responses on the IEC shortlist were 4.157 An ‘Alternatives Consultation’, which was undertaken with stakeholders and assessed and integrated into an evaluation matrix by TKOWFL as summarised in Appendix A of Application Document 8.17 (see Appendix 9 of Appendix B of communities between 19th February and 30th April 2013. This consultation did not Application Document 8.17 for the full matrices). Consultation responses influenced form part of the statutory consultation process carried out under the Planning Act 2008, either the weighting of each category under consideration or the relative scoring of but was designed, in so far as possible, to be consistent with best-practice guidance for issues. This was considered to be the optimum means of ensuring responses had a such consultations. The consultation was designed to provide information that could direct impact on the evaluation of the identified zones. assist TKOWFL in the evaluation of the three shortlisted zones (Brown, Red and Yellow) and it provided communities and stakeholders with the opportunity to highlight 4.164 Whilst the evaluation identified the Red Zone as the preferred zone, ELDC expressed a their views and concerns and thereby influence the final choice of location. Details strong preference for the Brown Zone and its views were considered sufficiently about the 2013 Alternatives Consultation can be found in the Alternatives Consultation important to change the ranking. The Brown Zone was therefore chosen for the IEC Report which is appended to the SS&DR at Appendix B. and announced in a newsletter in June 2013. Following this announcement, further 4.158 The consultation material consisted of newsletters, questionnaires, site booklets, site information about the Brown Zone came to light, which triggered the re-evaluation of reports and public exhibitions. Local, Parish, Ward and County Councils, statutory and the IEC zones. The “Vision for Skegness” was announced August 2013 for the non-statutory bodies and members of the public were invited to participate in the economic expansion of Skegness, part of which is identified as taking place on the consultation. Further information on the consultation is provided in the Alternatives Brown Zone. TKOWFL assessed the compatibility of the IEC with this development Consultation Report which is appended to the SS&DR at Appendix B. and concluded that it would be extremely complicated for the two developments to be co-located. 4.159 A newsletter and information about the public exhibitions were posted to: 4.165 ELDC subsequently advised that they were no longer able provide a recommendation . households, businesses and organisations with postcodes within 400 m for any of the IEC zones, which meant that the weighting given to ELDC’s initial view of the proposed ‘2013 Consultation cable corridor’; that the Brown Zone was their preferred was removed and TKOWFL’s original . other organisations, individuals identified as community stakeholders; conclusion that the Red Zone was the favoured location was affirmed. The effect of the and influence of ELDC’s views in the initial selection of the Brown Zone and subsequently, the resultant change to the ranking resulting in the Red Zone as the preferred option . others engaged in the consultation process (including those who had after their advice changed, is described in Alternatives Consultation Report (Appendix contacted TKOWFL or attended previous exhibitions). 9 of Appendix B of the SS&DR). 4.160 888 people attended the public exhibitions held at six venues on dates between 5th Refinement of the Red Zone March and 13th April 2013. In addition, 364 individual comments were received via questionnaire, email or letter. 4.166 At this time an announcement was made that the Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm project was to reduce in maximum constructed generating capacity from 1200 MW to Consultation on Alternative IEC Zones 2013 900 MW, resulting in a reduction in the footprint of IEC from 3 ha to 1.8 ha. Work 4.161 The three shortlisted IEC zones were taken into the Alternatives Consultation. commenced to review options in and around the Red Zone, including opportunities in 4.162 Each zone was supported by a Zone Report summarising the overall project and the the originally shortlisted zone Int_O. A report was presented to ELDC for feedback on proposed development as well as the key issues (for example, site access, landscape four identified options, two of which were new options. ELDC was unable to provide and visual aspects, noise and vibration, hydrology and flood risk, historic environment, advice on the merits of the four sites so TKOWFL took the decision to locate the IEC ecology and nature conservation, soils, geology and ground conditions and tourism within the envelope of existing development on the south side of Marsh Lane, between and recreation). A brief preliminary landscape and visual assessment (with indicative Skegness Stadium and the existing agricultural grain store on the basis of technical photomontage illustrations based on the largest footprint that was considered advice from its consultants. reasonably possible) and a flood risk assessment were also attached to each Zone 4.167 The preferred site is located between two existing large structures (Skegness Stadium Report. These reports can be found as Appendices C to E of the SS&DR. and the grain store), has a more linear pattern of ditches compared to the others and would not affect any mature trees or landscape features. Further, the height of the

4-39 Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Ltd Triton Knoll Electrical System Environmental Statement - Volume 1

buildings that would be required at the proposed site is similar to that of the existing Temporary Construction Compound grain store. If the IEC buildings are sited towards the northern part of the site, this will 4.173 In order to continue the principle of not extending the development footprint further into result in a continuous pattern of development which minimises landscape and visual the countryside, the temporary compound (TCC4) has been located in the field to the impacts. west. This keeps the compound as close to the existing line of infrastructure as 4.168 The feedback TKOWFL received during and after the 2013 Alternatives Consultation possible without compromising the area set aside for screening. played a fundamental role in determining the location of the IEC with comments from Noise stakeholders not only helping to finalise the location but also informing important elements of the development including the construction access route. More details 4.174 As the nearest sensitive receptor is located approximately 600 m to the south. The IEC about the 2013 Alternatives Consultation, including the assessment of the responses, design is not primarily constrained by noise and appropriate operational noise limits the evaluation matrices and the post consultation site review can be found in the Site have been established with ELDC’s Environmental Health Officer and are secured as a Selection and Design Report and Consultation Report (Application Documents 8.17 requirement of the DCO (Application Document 3.1). and 5.1). Stage 4 - Onshore Cable Route Selection Further Siting Considerations Operational requirements 4.169 Once the final preferred location (Site 3) had been confirmed (see Figure 5-4 in Application Document 8.17), a number of factors were considered to establish an 4.175 The final transmission method selected for the TKES is HVAC as it represents the indicative layout and design assumptions for the environmental assessment of the IEC, most economic and efficient option, in line with the legal requirements set out in the which are summarised below: Electricity Act 1989. To transmit 900 MW at 132 kV would require up to six cables although a consent that allows a range of cable voltages is sought. Landscaping and Visual Impact 4.176 The full cable easement required is 60 m wide. This includes space for fencing, up to 6 4.170 The main concern associated with this site was the open views to the north (albeit with separate trenches to accommodate the necessary cable circuits, a construction haul no permanent receptors within 2 km) and views from the residences in the south. The road and associated temporary drainage and temporary spoil heaps for topsoil and location of the site and the required size of the compound allows sufficient potential for subsoil. landscape mitigation to mitigate any possible adverse visual impact. 4.177 The cable route will link the transition joint bays at the landfall site, the IEC and Watercourses substation, to allow the power generated at the offshore wind farm to be connected to 4.171 As the site is bordered by or adjacent to drainage ditches on three sides and without the Onshore Interface Point at the existing National Grid substation at Bicker Fen. significant vegetation, there is potential habitat for protected species such as water Secondary requirements such as TCCs and access/haul roads to allow safe and voles. No infrastructure or planting will be within 5 m from any watercourse. In addition, effective construction and limit disruption also need to be accommodated within the Lindsey Marsh Drainage Board (LMDB) has stipulated that no development can be cable corridor. located within 8 m of the watercourse to the east. Area of search definition Access 4.172 Following feedback from an update meeting with Parish Councillors, where traffic 4.178 Three Areas of Search (1, 2 and 3) (see Figure 4-9) were identified for the onshore impacts on Orby were raised as a significant concern, a decision was taken to review cables, which provide options for an onward connection from the IEC area of search to the assumption for routing the IEC construction traffic through Orby. Following the Substation area of search. Establishing these three areas of search was an integral engineering studies and consultation with the Highways Authority, heavy goods part of the iterative methodology for assessing alternative options for the TKES. vehicles (HGVs) will now be routed to the site by vehicles turning off the A158 to the 4.179 Once a preferred area of search had been established (Area of Search 2), see section south and travelling north along the cable route haul road. This will keep the vast 4.182 – 4.187, this was used to identify an ‘Onward Cable Corridor’ which would majority of the construction traffic to the A road network and significantly reduce provide a target starting point for an appropriate route from the edge of the IEC area of impacts on the village of Orby.

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search and would progress down to the Substation area of search, as discussed in each of the three shortlisted IEC zones ready to be presented for consultation, as 4.189. discussed in 4.152- 4.154 and shown in Figure 4-13.

Site selection analysis Establishing the Onward Cable Corridor 4.187 Within Area of Search 2, a more refined 1 km Onward Cable Corridor (see Figure 4-14) 4.180 The three 5 km wide Areas of Search were analysed at a high level to determine the was developed through a desk-top appraisal between the edge of the IEC Area of relative merits of routing cables through these distinct regions. These are all identified Search and the Substation Area of Search. This was developed to avoid urban areas, on Figure 4-8. known constraints and pinch-points and sections were reviewed through site visits. 4.181 Area of Search 1 appeared to require cables to be taken over a longer distance than Midville was identified as an appropriate starting point and the end point was the either Area of Search 2 or Area of Search 3, routing directly through the Lincolnshire Substation Area of Search. The Onward Cable Corridor was then reviewed by a team Wolds AONB and the AGLV. This was likely to be more challenging topography with a of engineering and environmental specialists to test whether there were any obvious greater degree of mature woodland. engineering, landscape, ecological or archaeological constraints to at least one 60 m 4.182 Area of Search 2 provided an option for a cable corridor route to the south of Burgh-le- wide cable route being sited within it. Marsh that avoided the AONB and National Trust land, whilst minimising the length of Establishing the Preferred Substation Connector Corridor new additional cabling. Whilst the selection of Area of Search 2 would be likely to result 4.188 A 1 km-wide ‘Preferred Substation Connection Corridor’ was identified as the most in an onshore cable route that crossed through the LCGM Burgh-le-Marsh Target Area direct route avoiding properties and constraints from the end of the Onward Cable for the creation of new grazing marsh, it is considered that grazing marsh and buried Corridor at the edge of the Substation Area of Search to the Onshore Interface Point at cables can co-exist. As such, this was not considered an insurmountable constraint. the existing National Grid Bicker Fen Substation. 4.183 Area of Search 3 provided an option to route cables along the coastal strip that runs 4.189 This was then used as part of the shortlisting process for the Substation zones. Similar south-west of Gibraltar Point in an area with a very low density of population. This was to the process undertaken as part of the IEC site selection, when assessing the a longer option than the others, although it avoided crossing railways and also provided suitability of the longlisted Substation zones, a high-level analysis of additional cable the option of routing the cables around the south of Boston. However, it did require the route distance was factored in to the evaluation. Where a zone was located outside of crossing of ‘The Haven', a major watercourse that runs from Boston to the Wash the ‘Preferred Substation Connector Corridor’, the additional cabling distance that Estuary. Significant environmental and engineering challenges were identified in Area would result was calculated. A maximum threshold of 5 km was applied and any zones of Search 3. These included potential impacts on protected species of ground nesting that resulted in more than this length were screened out. birds, complexities of routing cables through more densely populated areas around Boston, with major transport and utilities infrastructure and cable installation challenges 4.190 Owing to the much smaller substation area of search, cable route distance was not as in large areas of existing marshland. influential as it was in the IEC evaluation, where material differences in IEC Connector Corridor length did differentiate between the zones. Only two of the substation longlist 4.184 On the basis of the high level constraints considered above it was a decision was taken required an additional cable route distance of more than 5 km (which resulted in these to progress with Area of Search 2 as the favoured option. being screened out), whereas a greater number of the IEC zones were screened out Establishing the Preferred IEC Connector Corridor for this reason. For further information see Appendix A of the SS&DR (Application 4.185 To inform the IEC zone selection there was a need to develop a corridor from the Document 8.17). preferred landfall area at Anderby Creek to the approximate target point of Midville, to 4.191 The length of 400 kV cables required to connect each of the longlisted Substation the south west of the IEC Area of Search, as discussed in paragraph 4.152 and 4.154. zones to the onshore interface point was calculated. This was important as it is This is identified in Figure 4-11. considerably more expensive to use 400 kV cabling than the lower voltage that is 4.186 A 1 km-wide ‘Preferred IEC Connector Corridor’ was defined that avoided the AONB, proposed for the vast majority of the route and would result in additional technical AGLV and land owned by the National Trust. This was then branched to be routed to challenges relating to provision of reactive power compensation equipment.

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4.192 A 1 km-wide cable corridor, appropriate for each of the four shortlisted substation zones was then produced for consultation (Figure 4-15). Once the Substation zone had been confirmed, the route appropriate for this zone was taken forward to the refinement stage as shown in Figure 4-16.

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Legend: IEC Area of Search 380000 5km Substation Area of Search Lan_C: North Anderby Creek Shortlist Landfall Zones Preferred IEC Connector Corridor Lan_D: South Anderby Creek Onward Cable Corridor Preferred Substation Connector Corridor West Onward Cable Area of Search Lindsey District Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marsh

East Target Area Lindsey District Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park 370000 Area of Great Landscape Value Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

East Burgh le Site of Special Scientific Interest Lindsey Marsh National Nature Reserve District Ramsar Site Special Protected Area Special Area of Conservation Administrative Boundary (District/Borough) 360000

Midville

Notes:- This map contains data from the following sources- Ordnance Surevy (2014) Coordinate System: British National Grid Projection: Transverse Mercator Datum: OSGB 1936 Units: Meter Area of North Search 2 Kesteven

350000 District

Source: Global Land Cover Facility, www.landcover.org.

01 02/04/2015 First Draft SL SL SL

Rev Date Description Drn Chk App

Boston Triton Knoll Electrical System District 340000 Bicker (B) Fen NGET King's Lynn and Substation West Norfolk

District (B) TITLE: Figure 4-14 South Holland Triton Knoll Alternatives Assessment South District Preferred Cable Corridors Kesteven District 0 3 6 Kilometres / SCALE: 1:187,000 @ A3 REV 01 Document Path:C:\GIS Data\Projects\Triton Knoll Cable 2013-14\Triton Knoll Electrical System Post PEI\Maps\2014_12_GoBe_TKES_ES_Vol1Ch4_SSA_4_14.mxd

© Crown copyright, All rights reserved. 2014 License No. EK001-20140601. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2014. Not to be used for navigation. 520000 530000 540000 550000 560000 570000

Legend: IEC Area of Search 380000 5km Substation Area of Search Shortlist Landfall Zones Lan_C: North Anderby Creek 2013 Substation Consultation Zones Lan_D: South Anderby Creek 2013 IEC Consultation Zones 2013 IEC Consultation Zones Yellow Zone West Brown Zone Lindsey District Red Zone

East Lindsey 2013 Consultation Corridor District

370000 National Trust Land Int_O Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Skegness Area of Great Landscape Value Stadium East Burgh le Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marsh Target Area Lindsey Marsh Int_W District ! Middlemarsh Lincolnshire Coastal Country Park Landfill Administrative Boundary (District/Borough) Int_ZA Wainfleet Industrial Estate 360000

Midville !

Notes:- This map contains data from the following sources- Ordnance Surevy (2014) Coordinate System: British National Grid Projection: Transverse Mercator Datum: OSGB 1936 Units: Meter Area of North Search 2 Kesteven

350000 District

Source: Global Land Cover Facility, www.landcover.org.

01 02/04/2015 First Draft SL SL SL

Sub_P Rev Date Description Drn Chk App Sub_J Boston Triton Knoll Electrical System District 340000 Sub_H (B) Bicker Fen NGET Sub_F King's Lynn and Substation West Norfolk District (B) TITLE: Figure 4-15 South Holland Triton Knoll Alternatives Assessment South District 2013 Consultation Corridor Kesteven District 0 3 6 Kilometres / SCALE: 1:187,000 @ A3 REV 01 Document Path:C:\GIS Data\Projects\Triton Knoll Cable 2013-14\Triton Knoll Electrical System Post PEI\Maps\2014_12_GoBe_TKES_ES_Vol1Ch4_SSA_4_15.mxd

© Crown copyright, All rights reserved. 2014 License No. EK001-20140601. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2014. Not to be used for navigation. 520000 530000 540000 550000 560000 570000

Legend:

IEC Study 380000 5km Substation Study Area Lan_C: North Anderby Creek Shortlist Landfall Zones Shortlisted Substation Zones Shortlisted IEC Zones 2013 IEC Consultation Yellow Zone West Lindsey Brown Zone District Red Zone East Lindsey District PEI Cable Route

370000 Int_O National Trust Land Skegness Area of Outstanding Natural Stadium Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marsh East Burgh le Target Area Lindsey Marsh Lincolnshire Coastal Country Int_W District ! Middlemarsh Area of Great Landscape Landfill Administrative Boundary (District/Borough) Int_ZA Wainfleet Industrial Estate 360000

Midville ! Notes:- This map contains data from the following sources- Ordnance Surevy (2014) Gaps in the PEI cable route at the Bicker Fen substation and north of Burgh le Marsh represent the locations of the IEC and substation during PEI consultation. Coordinate System: British National Grid Projection: Transverse Mercator Datum: OSGB 1936 Units: Meter Area of North Search 2 Kesteven

350000 District

Source: Global Land Cover Facility, www.landcover.org.

01 02/04/2015 First Draft SL SL SL

Sub_P Rev Date Description Drn Chk App

Sub_H Boston Triton Knoll Electrical System Sub_J District 340000 (! (B) Bicker Sub_F King's Lynn and Fen NGET West Norfolk

Substation District (B) TITLE: Figure 4-16 Triton Knoll Alternatives South Holland Assessment - Refined Cable Corridor South District Following 2013 Consultation Kesteven District 0 3 6 Kilometres / SCALE: 1:187,000 @ A3 REV 01 Document Path:C:\GIS Data\Projects\Triton Knoll Cable 2013-14\Triton Knoll Electrical System Post PEI\Maps\2014_12_GoBe_TKES_ES_Vol1Ch4_SSA_4_16.mxd

© Crown copyright, All rights reserved. 2014 License No. EK001-20140601. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2014. Not to be used for navigation. Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Ltd Triton Knoll Electrical System Environmental Statement - Volume 1

2013 Alternatives Consultation  minimising impact on public highways, railway lines and underground utility 4.193 Once it had been confirmed that no obvious constraints existed, the IEC Connector infrastructure by crossing as close to 90° as possible; and Corridor, the Onward Cable Corridor and the Substation Connector Corridor were  other factors being equal, choosing the most direct line to ensure the shortest combined into the ‘Consultation Cable Corridor’ (see Figure 4-15) which was taken route is chosen forward into the 2013 Alternatives Consultation. The consultation in 2013 was focused 4.199 An initial 60 m-wide cable corridor was developed to a stage where it could be on the locations of the above-ground infrastructure at the IEC and the Substation. presented to all identified landowners. A landowner information pack was sent out However, this 1 km-wide cable corridor was presented as part of the consultation for containing preliminary information about construction techniques and the cable communities, landowners and stakeholders to comment on. installation process and also a questionnaire about the use of the land. Following 4.194 The 2013 Consultation Corridor sought to avoid significant environmental designations, feedback from the landowners the following criteria were used for the further route conurbations and minimise the number of complex construction areas such as large development: river crossings, large road crossings, rail crossings and other constraints that had  minimise impact on watercourses by crossing as close to 90° as possible; materialised.  where appropriate, avoid ecologically sensitive habitats; 4.195 The 2013 Consultation Corridor was indicated in the consultation materials and the newsletter that was sent directly to residents. The Consultation Corridor can be seen  where appropriate, avoid sensitive archaeology; on Figure 4-15.  where practical, microsite the cable corridor along field boundaries to minimise Cable Route Refinement Process land-take impact; 4.196 The 2013 consultation provided useful information that allowed TKOWFL to identify a  maintain maintenance access to all IDB watercourses by avoiding siting cables preliminary cable route within the 2013 Consultation Corridor to provide a working within the relevant byelaw distance; and assumption and to test against constraints as they developed.  consider access to the corridor and major crossings by ensuring proximity to key 4.197 An iterative process of route alignment and re-alignment followed which involved access points. consultation with statutory bodies (including the Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs), NE 4.200 Applying these criteria led to the identification of a 60 m-wide cable route (‘PEI Cable and the EA), discussions with landowners, internal review and appraisal, constraint Route’) which was then the subject of further consultation in 2014. This is shown in identification (for example from recent survey data) and site visits. Advice was sought Figure 4-16. from cable installation specialists, a local land drain consultant and the NFU and 2014 Cable Route Consultation discussions were held with landowners regarding cable installation techniques. 4.201 The 60 m wide cable route (‘Cable Route Consulted on in Spring 2014’) that was 4.198 The initial siting principles used in the refinement process were: presented was the result of approximately 12 months of detailed refinement (shown in  avoiding where possible areas of highest amenity value, including AONBs; Figure 4-16). The consultation undertaken in spring 2014 had the primary aim of using  avoiding smaller areas of higher amenity value or scientific interest. This was local knowledge to refine the alignment of the cable route to minimise impacts. This intended to minimise the impact on areas of architectural, historic and consultation did not form part of the statutory consultation process carried out under archaeological interest including Sites of Special Scientific Interest, The Planning Act 2008. Questionnaires accompanied by plans representing the cable Conservation Areas, Listed Buildings, Listed Parks and Gardens and Ancient route and with information about the cable laying activities were sent to landowners Monuments; located within 250 m of the proposed route. Newsletters which included details about the consultation were also sent to all addresses with postcodes within 3 km around the  maximising distance from residential properties, with an aspiration to maintain a IEC and the Substation locations, 400 m from the edge of the cable route and within minimum of 50 m separation from the edge of the cable corridor to all 200 m of current potential access routes from the nearest ‘A’ road. residences; 4.202 In addition, statutory and non-statutory bodies such as utilities were consulted to get feedback on the ‘Cable Route Consulted on -Spring 2014’.

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4.203 A detailed description of the responses received during this consultation can be found in the Site Selection and Design Report (Application Document 8.17), which also describes how responses were taken on board to influence the routing proposals. Further information on the development of the cable route access points and TCCs can be found in Volume 3: Chapter 1: Project Description. 4.204 Responses received by landowners were taken into account in finalising the cable route. In addition information provided by landowners and the small number of responses received by the public were used to build up a clearer understanding of the constraints on the cable route. 4.205 The cable route from the landfall at Anderby Creek North, via the IEC and new Triton Knoll Substation to the Onshore Interface Point at Bicker Fen has been developed through an iterative process that has had due regard to the interdependencies of the various works. Over the course of approximately two years, the cable route has been subject to an environmental and technical routing appraisal involving a combination of the professional judgment and experience of specialists, aerial photos, other mapping, publically accessible GIS constraint data and site visits, as well as the findings of the ecological surveys of corridors. Consultation has been undertaken to ensure that communities, landowners and stakeholders have had the opportunity to provide feedback and influence the route. 4.206 TKOWFL derived a feasible route based on an assumed 60 m-wide construction working width for installation of up to 6 cable circuits, together with joint bays and associated electrical infrastructure. TKOWFL has also identified locations where compounds for trenchless crossing operations will definitely be required and for construction laydown/ cable storage, construction compounds and access tracks. 2014 Statutory S42 and S47 Consultation 4.207 The various iterations of the cable corridor, developed from requested amendments from formal consultation, are detailed in the Consultation Report (Application Document 5.1). 4.208 Due to the detailed and extensive informal consultation undertaken on the cable route with landowners, members of the public and statutory consultees, detailed in the Site Selection and Design Report, Chapter 6 ‘Onshore Cable Route’ (Application Document 8.17), very few route amendments were requested in the statutory consultation. The evolution of the cable route between May 2014 and April 2015 can be seen in Figure 4-17.

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Legend: Proposed Development Boundary PEI Assessment Version of Cable Route Cable Route consulted on - October 2014 Cable Route consulted on - Spring 2014 Initial 60m-wide Cable Route - October 2013 375000

Notes:- This map contains data from the following sources- Ordnance Survey (2014)

Coordinate System: British National Grid Projection: Transverse Mercator Datum: OSGB 1936 Units: Meter 370000

Source: Global Land Cover Facility, www.landcover.org.

01 20.04.2015 First Draft NW FR KGC

Rev Date Description Drn Chk App

Triton Knoll Electrical System

TITLE: Figure 4-17 Cable Route Iterations Map 1

0 1 2

365000 Kilometres / SCALE: 1:50.000 @ A3 REV 01 Document Path: Z:\ProjectSpecificMaps\MajorProjects\15_UK_TritonKnoll\06_Interconnection\02_RWE\06_Site_Selection_Report\TK_1265_R1 Figure- 4pt17 - Cable Route Iterations.mxd

© Crown copyright, All rights reserved. 2014 License number 0100031673 Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2014 540000 545000 550000 555000

Legend: Proposed Development Boundary PEI Assessment Version of Cable Route Cable Route consulted on - October 2014 Cable Route consulted on - Spring 2014 Initial 60m-wide Cable Route

365000 - October 2013

Notes:-

360000 This map contains data from the following sources- Ordnance Survey (2014)

Coordinate System: British National Grid Projection: Transverse Mercator Datum: OSGB 1936 Units: Meter

Source: Global Land Cover Facility, www.landcover.org.

01 20.04.2015 First Draft NW FR KGC

Rev Date Description Drn Chk App

Triton Knoll Electrical System

TITLE: 355000 Figure 4-17 Cable Route Iterations Map 2

0 1 2

Kilometres / SCALE: 1:50.000 @ A3 REV 01 Document Path: Z:\ProjectSpecificMaps\MajorProjects\15_UK_TritonKnoll\06_Interconnection\02_RWE\06_Site_Selection_Report\TK_1265_R1 Figure- 4pt17 - Cable Route Iterations.mxd

© Crown copyright, All rights reserved. 2014 License number 0100031673 Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2014 530000 535000 540000

Legend: Proposed Development Boundary PEI Assessment Version of Cable Route Cable Route consulted on - October 2014 Cable Route consulted on - Spring 2014 Initial 60m-wide Cable Route - October 2013 355000

Notes:- This map contains data from the following sources- Ordnance Survey (2014)

Coordinate System: British National Grid Projection: Transverse Mercator Datum: OSGB 1936 Units: Meter

Source: Global Land Cover Facility, www.landcover.org. 350000

01 20.04.2015 First Draft NW FR KGC

Rev Date Description Drn Chk App

Triton Knoll Electrical System

TITLE: Figure 4-17 Cable Route Iterations Map 3

0 1 2

Kilometres / SCALE: 1:50.000 @ A3 REV 01 Document Path: Z:\ProjectSpecificMaps\MajorProjects\15_UK_TritonKnoll\06_Interconnection\02_RWE\06_Site_Selection_Report\TK_1265_R1 Figure- 4pt17 - Cable Route Iterations.mxd

© Crown copyright, All rights reserved. 2014 License number 0100031673 Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2014 515000 520000 525000 530000

Legend: Proposed Development Boundary PEI Assessment Version of Cable Route Cable Route consulted on - October 2014 Cable Route consulted on - Spring 2014 Initial 60m-wide Cable Route - October 2013 345000

Notes:- This map contains data from the following sources- Ordnance Survey (2014)

Coordinate System: British National Grid Projection: Transverse Mercator Datum: OSGB 1936 Units: Meter

Source: Global Land Cover Facility, www.landcover.org. 340000

01 20.04.2015 First Draft NW FR KGC

Rev Date Description Drn Chk App

Triton Knoll Electrical System

TITLE: Figure 4-17 Cable Route Iterations Map 4

0 1 2

Kilometres / SCALE: 1:50.000 @ A3 REV 01 Document Path: Z:\ProjectSpecificMaps\MajorProjects\15_UK_TritonKnoll\06_Interconnection\02_RWE\06_Site_Selection_Report\TK_1265_R1 Figure- 4pt17 - Cable Route Iterations.mxd

© Crown copyright, All rights reserved. 2014 License number 0100031673 Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2014 Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Ltd Triton Knoll Electrical System Environmental Statement - Volume 1

Stage 5 - Triton Knoll Substation Selection 4.214 The area of search is characterised by generally flat grade 1 and 2 arable agricultural land. The field pattern typical of the area comprises fields between approximately 5 Operational requirements and 15 ha in size with limited boundaries in place (for example few hedgerows, fencing 4.209 Initial site selection parameters were defined to retain maximum flexibility. TKOWFL and ditches). There are currently no registered environmental designations within close therefore initially identified the requirements for a typical HVAC substation, sufficient to proximity to the Onshore Interface Point. accommodate three adjacent and electrically separate HVAC compounds, as being an area of up to 20 ha. 4.215 The area of search is divided by minor roads and drainage ditches including the South Forty Drain, a main drainage channel that runs through the centre of the area. The A52 4.210 The spatial requirements of the substation were re-evaluated following the Bicker Road runs in a south west/north east direction and the A17 is 3.5 km from the announcement to reduce the constructed capacity of the project from 1200 MW to 900 Onshore Interface Point running in a southeast/north west direction. The Spalding to MW. This resulted in a decrease, after the preferred zone had been chosen, of the Sleaford and Boston to Sleaford rail lines run 2 km to the south west and 4km to the required footprint of the compound to 8.6 ha (excluding the land required for the north of the Onshore Interface Point respectively. landscaping and the TCC). 4.216 18 Substation zones were identified within the 5 km area of search which had sufficient Area of search definition area for development. The potential substation zones, shown on Figure 4-18, were 4.211 TKOWFL has a connection agreement with National Grid for a connection to the considered to provide a good geographical spread to allow for an alternatives national electricity network via an Onshore Interface Point at the existing Bicker Fen assessment which considered a reasonable breadth of options. It was assumed that substation, located approximately 14 km west-southwest of Boston. the incoming cable route would arrive from a north easterly direction. 4.212 An Area of Search for the new Triton Knoll substation was identified within a 5 km 4.217 The following constraint criteria were applied in order to facilitate the assessment of radius of the existing Bicker Fen substation, with the railway line to the south forming zone options and available areas: the southern boundary. This is identified in Figure 4-9. The 5 km radius was  noise - a buffer of 565 m was applied to inhabited properties, based on an determined by the need to design an economic and efficient system (as required by ‘unmitigated’ assessment of operational noise from the substation infrastructure Section 9 of the Electricity Act 1989) to minimise the distance of 400 kV underground to ensure that a threshold 35 dB(A) limit would not be exceeded, with reference cable required between the new Triton Knoll Substation and the existing Onshore to WHO guidelines BS 4142 and BS 8233. Interface Point at Bicker Fen. Extending the length of 400 kV cabling beyond 5 km  would have a disproportionately large net cost impact and also would result in a sub- High voltage overhead lines – 100 m buffer applied either side to ensure a safe optimal technical solution (by increasing the amount of reactive compensation working distance, within which development was assumed to be severely infrastructure required). Similarly, advice had been received from Boston Borough restricted; Council (BBC) as the relevant Local Planning Authority that TKOWFL should seek to  High Pressure Gas main – 50 m buffer applied either side, within which minimise the proliferation of infrastructure by identifying a site as close to the existing development was assumed to be severely restricted; National Grid Bicker Fen substation as could reasonably be achieved (taking into  railway lines – 100 m buffer applied either side to ensure a safe working account constraints such as noise). distance, within which development was assumed to be severely restricted; Site selection analysis  Bicker Fen Wind Farm – assumed not to be possible for development or routing Development of a Substation Longlist of cables; and 4.213 The first stage in the process for selecting the substation was to identify potential  roads – zones were not considered able to straddle roads. zones by gathering environmental information and establishing appropriate high level Development of a Substation Shortlist search constraints. A desk based study mapped the primary constraints within the 5 km Substation area of search, which were considered to preclude, or heavily influence, 4.218 Given the relative remoteness of the area and the sparseness of the population, the siting of the substation (See Figure 4-18). constraints were treated in a slightly different manner to that taken for the IEC zone identification. Constraints were identified but very few resulted in identified zones being

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screened out. Many constraints were evaluated on a proximity basis, so for example a close to the Onshore Interface Point. Since the majority of the area around zone closer to a residential cluster resulted in a lower score than one further away (due Bicker Fen lies in Flood Zones 2 or 3 this was not treated as a hard constraint to the likely influence on the outcomes of a visual impact assessment), or zones that and TKOWFL focused on identifying how flood risk could be mitigated through may be constrained by built infrastructure resulted in a reduced score to those which flood resilient design. However, the potential to microsite development in a are unconstrained. The zones were scored relative to each other according to the more favourable flood category within any of the zones was given due following weighted criterion: consideration in the scoring of the siting options;  avoiding proliferation of infrastructure - Following advice from BBC, TKOWFL  distance to A road – Zones closest to major roads, as measured via existing identified significant benefit to siting new infrastructure close to the Onshore roads or likely access tracks, were scored more favourably; Interface Point at the existing National Grid Bicker Fen Substation, where  proximity to residential clusters – Proximity to large clusters of residential significant electrical infrastructure exists already. Zones closest to the existing receptors, e.g. local towns and villages, was scored on the basis that a greater National Grid substation, which is situated at the intersection of two overhead number of receptors and dwellings with differing views was likely to increase lines and near the Bicker Fen Wind Farm were therefore scored more visual impact; and favourably;  potential for conflict with to other infrastructure assets – This criterion addressed  additional cable route length – Zones were assessed on the basis of a logical features such as the Bicker Fen Wind Farm and its inter-turbine cabling, which and common deviation point from the Onward Cable Route and compared for although not absolute constraints (unlike like overhead lines, railways and high the total distance from that point via the Substation to the Onshore Interface pressure gas mains) could collectively create significant physical or commercial Point, recognising the potential physical constraints that would be faced. Zones challenges for a given Substation zone. were compared against the shortest zone route and options which added greater than 5 km were dismissed5; 4.219 As a result of the above weighted scoring approach, TKOWFL identified the top 3 ranked Substation zones as shown in Table 4-8.  400 kV cable length – Minimising 400 kV cable length is a significant driver for installation cost reduction and to avoid increasing reactive compensation equipment. Zones with the least length of 400 kV cabling were scored more favourably;  potential for micrositing – TKOWFL considered it important to identify zones that allowed adequate micrositing to overcome constraints that arise during detailed site investigation and design. Furthermore zones must be able to respond to electrical requirements in terms of cable entry routes and electrical compound layouts. Zones with the greater over-provision of area were scored favourably. Zones with an under-provision of area were scored unfavourably, although not dismissed outright. Zone areas were analysed only after they had been recalculated to account for constraints such as existing overhead lines, railways and high pressure gas mains and associated buffers;  potential to site in lower risk flood zone – The location of the area of search was determined through the outcomes of the ISA and the need to site the Substation

5 Similar to criteria applied to the IEC evaluation

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A1121 Legend: Longlisted Substation Zones

Sub_P 5km Substation Area of Search Sub_O Existing National Grid Bicker Fen Substation Area of Search 2 SSSI Onward Cable Area of Search Flood Zone 3 Flood Zone 2 Administrative Boundary (District / Sub_Q Borough)

Sub_M A17

Sub_L

Sub_R Sub_I North Sub_J Kesteven Sub_K Sub_H District 340000 Boston District (B)

Sub_G

Sub_E Notes:- This map contains data from the following sources- Ordnance Surevy (2014) Coordinate System: British National Grid Sub_F Projection: Transverse Mercator Sub_D Datum: OSGB 1936 Units: Meter

Sub_C

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Table 4-8 Substation Longlist Evaluation Matrix Summary Zone ID Zone Name Additional Route Microsite to More Favourable Zone Summary Ranking Shortlist? Length (km) Flood Zone? Sub_A Middle Fen 4.79 Opportunity to locate part of  South of the ICP results in complicated cable entry 5 infrastructure outside Flood Zone arrangement 3  Additional cable route length close to threshold  Potential for conflict with wind farm and overhead lines for cables Sub_B Vicarage Drove 1.30 No potential for micrositing to a  Site reduced by OHL resulting in lower land availability than 8 more favourable flood zone 20ha requirement  No potential for onsite micrositing  Potential for conflict with wind farm and overhead lines for cables Sub_C Bicker Fen Wind - - - - - Farm Sub_D East South Forty 2.77 No potential for micrositing to a  Site severed in two by OHL resulting in lower land availability Foot Drain more favourable flood zone  Reduced potential for onsite micrositing 9  Potential for conflict with overhead lines restricting operability Sub_E West South Forty 3.58 No potential for micrositing to a  Site severed in two by OHL resulting in lower land availability 14 Foot Drain more favourable flood zone than 20ha requirement  No potential for onsite micrositing  Potential for conflict with overhead lines restricting operability  Larger overall cable distance due to conflict with onshore wind farm Sub_F Cow Bridge 0.15 No potential for micrositing to a  Site bordered by OHL but large enough to avoid conflict with 3 SHORTLISTED: more favourable flood zone overhead lines restricting operability Due to benefits of close proximity to ICP  Adjacent to ICP results in lowest 400kV cable distance  Adjacent to ICP minimises proliferation of infrastructure Sub_G Bicker Drove 0.01 No potential for micrositing to a  Zone adjacent to OHL but can avoid conflict 4 NOT SHORTLISTED: more favourable flood zone  Close proximity to ICP results in low 400kV cable distance Identical scores do not reflect smaller area of  Close proximity to ICP minimises proliferation of infrastructure zone G so site F progressed

Sub_H Mill Hill 1.04 Majority of zone located outside  Zone proximity to A Road results in better access 2 SHORTLISTED Flood Zone 3 resulting in  Proximity to village of Swineshead increase potential visual Due to good overall score opportunity to decrease flood risk impacts through micrositing  Large site offers significant flexibility to microsite within zone Sub_I Lowgrounds 0.07 No potential for micrositing to a  Zone advantaged by short overall cable distance 10 more favourable flood zone  Zone sitting in remote location so avoids conflicts and impacts  Location away from cluster of electrical development increases proliferation of infrastructure  Small footprint results in low opportunity to microsite within the zone Sub_J Double Twelves 0.42 Potential to microsite part or all  Close proximity to ICP results in lowest overall cable distance 1 SHORTLISTED: Drove of the site into an area of lower  Close Proximity to ICP minimises proliferation of infrastructure Due to scale, remoteness and proximity to flood risk  Large zone offers significant flexibility to microsite within zone ICP

4-55 Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Ltd Triton Knoll Electrical System Environmental Statement - Volume 1

Zone ID Zone Name Additional Route Microsite to More Favourable Zone Summary Ranking Shortlist? Length (km) Flood Zone? Sub_K Little Hale Drove 1.36 No potential for micrositing to a  Reasonably proximity to ICP results in low overall cable more favourable flood zone distance 7  Close Proximity to ICP minimises proliferation of infrastructure  Remote location minimises impacts on towns and villages  Potential significant flexibility to microsite within zone Sub_L West Low Grounds 0.00 No potential for micrositing to a  Zone sitting in remote location so avoids conflicts and impacts more favourable flood zone  Location away from cluster of electrical development increases 11 proliferation of infrastructure  Relatively small footprint results in low opportunity to microsite within the zone Sub_M Great Hale Eau 1.35 No potential for micrositing to a  Zone advantaged by short overall cable distance 15 more favourable flood zone  Zone sitting in remote location so avoids conflicts and impacts  Location away from cluster of electrical development increases proliferation of infrastructure  Small footprint results in low opportunity to microsite within the zone Sub_O Swineshead Bridge 0.14 No potential for micrositing to a  Zone sitting in junction of railway and South Forty Foot drain 13 more favourable flood zone which could result in potential conflicts  Remote location so avoids impacts  Very small site doesn't allow for micrositing Sub_P Great Hale Fen 1.36 No potential for micrositing to a  Very large allows for micrositing to mitigate impacts SHORTLISTED: more favourable flood zone  Fairly remote from towns and villages 6 To provide an option of sufficient size which  Small overall cable distance can offer a reasonable alternative to those  Reasonable proximity to A road being favoured because of the drivers to be close to the ICP Sub_Q Carter Plot 4.46 Opportunity to microsite into the  Significantly longer cable distance approaching the 5km 12 lower flood risk area threshold  Close proximity to the town of Great Hale results in potential for increased impacts  Small footprint results in low opportunity to microsite within the zone Sub_R Green Drove 7.38 Majority of zone located outside Exceeds 5km additional route length Flood Zone 3 resulting in threshold so dismissed opportunity to decrease flood risk through micrositing Sub_S Bullbank Holt 5.22 No potential for micrositing to a Exceeds 5km additional route length more favourable flood zone threshold so dismissed

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4.220 Whilst great weight was placed on the outcomes of the scoring mechanism set out 4.224 All statutory, non-statutory and public consultation responses were assessed and above, TKOWFL considered it important, where appropriate, to seek a good integrated into an evaluation matrix by TKOWFL (see the SS&DR (Application geographical spread of zones of different strengths to maximise the potential for the Document 8.17), Appendix A). Consultation responses were reflected in either the subsequent engagement process to obtain a wide variety of opinions on different weighting of each category under consideration or the relative scoring of issues. This environmental and other aspects. was considered to be the optimum means of ensuring responses had a direct impact on the evaluation of the identified zones. 4.221 With this in mind, TKOWFL identified a shortlist of four zones as follows as shown on Figure 4-19 and also identified potential cable routes to each site as shown in Figure 4- 4.225 The results were presented to BBC and it was agreed that, on balance, the Blue zone 15: was the overall preferred zone. Although it was located slightly further from the existing substation (and would involve a slightly greater length of 400 kV cablings, the  Rank 1: Zone Code: Sub_J (subsequently the Blue Zone) - shortlisted due to Blue Zone lies furthest from residential properties, has a shorter overall cable route, scale, remoteness and proximity to ICP; lies in close proximity to existing built infrastructure and would benefit from the  Rank 2: Zone Code: Sub_H (subsequently the Purple Zone) – shortlisted due to embankment of the South Forty Foot drain, which would offer a degree of screening of being a large zone with good access to the A Road network and with the views from the west. This location is approximately 3.5 km (2.2 miles) from the village potential to site all infrastructure entirely outside the Flood Zone 2 and 3. of Bicker and 4.1 km (2.5 miles) from the village of Swineshead.  Rank 3: Zone Code: Sub_F (subsequently the Green Zone) – shortlisted due to 4.226 The Blue Zone was therefore taken forward as the preferred substation location. benefits of being located adjacent to ICP, including minimising proliferation of Details about the 2013 Alternatives Consultation can be found in the Alternatives infrastructure and 400kV route length. Consultation Report which is appended to the SS&DR (Application Document 8.17).  Rank 6: Zone Code: Sub_P (subsequently the Orange Zone) – shortlisted as it offered substantially different option to the others and could therefore act as a control zone for the consultation process. This zone presented a large, relatively remote site away from other infrastructure with reasonable proximity to the A Road network and a small overall cable distance 2013 Consultation on Substation Alternatives 4.222 The four shortlisted zones were progressed to an ‘Alternatives Consultation’, which was undertaken with stakeholders and communities between the 19th February and the 30th April 2013. As described in section 4.163-4.167 onwards, the aim was to help in the process of determining the most appropriate locations for the above-ground components of the electrical infrastructure, including the substation. Questions which TKOWFL put to consultees were designed to assist TKOWFL to determine which of four zones (Blue, Green, Purple and Orange) was the preferred location for the Substation near Bicker Fen. 4.223 Each zone was supported by a report summarising the overall project and the proposed development as well as the key issues (site access, landscape and visual aspects, noise and vibration, hydrology and flood risk, historic environment, ecology and nature conservation, soils, geology and ground conditions and tourism and recreation). A brief preliminary landscape and visual assessment (with indicative photomontage illustrations) and a flood risk assessment were also attached to each Zone Report (see the SS&DR (Application Document 8.17), Appendices F-I).

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Legend: 5km Substation Area of Search Shortlisted Substation Zones Blue Zone Green Zone Orange Zone A1121 Area of Purple Zone Search 2 Sub_P Railway line Wind Turbines Overhead line (pylons) with 100m buffer shown A17 High Pressure Gas pipeline Existing National Grid Bicker Fen Substation SSSI North Onward Cable Area of Search Kesteven Flood Zone 3 District Flood Zone 2 Administrative Boundary (District / Sub_J Borough) Sub_H Boston

340000 District (B)

Notes:- This map contains data from the following sources- Ordnance Surevy (2014) Coordinate System: British National Grid Sub_F Projection: Transverse Mercator Datum: OSGB 1936 Units: Meter

A52

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Further Siting Consideration Construction Compound 4.227 Once the blue zone had been selected as the final preferred zone, a number of factors 4.231 By applying the principle of minimising the development footprint and keeping the were considered to establish an indicative layout and design assumptions for the works in the same place, the temporary compound has been located to the north of the environmental assessment of the Substation, which are summarised below: planned location for the built infrastructure. Landscaping and Visual Impact Landowner preference 4.228 The primary mitigation for landscape and visual impacts would be the opportunity to 4.232 A request was made for the infrastructure to be located as close to the south east of make available sufficient land surrounding the perimeter of the built infrastructure to the Blue Zone as could be achieved and this was fulfilled as reasonably could be allow for a robust and effective screening plan. Consideration was given to the primary achieved given other considerations. views from towns and villages and also space to screen from the South Forty Foot Impacts on the Bicker Fen Wind Farm Drain. The restrictions on provision of the screening comprise: 4.233 Through consultation with EDF, the owners of the Bicker Fen Wind Farm, a minimum  the incoming and outgoing cables, above which planting of new trees is distance of 300 m was defined based an established siting criteria for siting onshore restricted; wind farms in proximity to infrastructure.  watercourses, where space would be restricted; and Proximity to Properties  the existing onshore wind farm, where trees or other structures in close 4.234 Taking into account all of the above constraints, the site has been located to maximise proximity to operational wind turbines can have a detrimental impact on the wind the distance from nearest inhabited properties as far as is technically possible. resource and can cause long term operational problems. Stage 6 – National Grid Bicker Fen Substation Works and 400 kV underground Watercourses cables 4.229 As the zone is bordered by or adjacent to drainage ditches on all sides, minimising Operational Requirements disturbance to these has been a key consideration. The diversion of watercourses has been kept to a minimum. Discussions have taken place with Black Sluice Internal 4.235 Works are required within the existing National Grid Bicker Fen Substation in order to Drainage Board (BSIDB) regarding siting of the Substation in relation to existing connect the TKOWF to the National Grid Transmission System. These “Unlicensed watercourses. works” are electrical works needed to connect Triton Knoll to the National Grid substation at Bicker Fen that National Grid is not required pursuant to its transmission Access licence to carry out itself. 4.230 During the 2013 Alternatives Consultation, traffic impacts from the construction traffic 4.236 Planning permission was granted by Boston Borough Council for the existing Bicker which was assumed to be routed through the village of Bicker were raised repeatedly Fen substation on 20th April 2005 (Planning application reference B/05/0046). The as a significant concern by communities. In addition, the consultation response from Environmental Report provided by National Grid makes reference to the substation BBC raised concerns about the physical condition and suitability of the Bicker access being oversized in order to ensure that it met the forecasted growth in consumer route recommended the option should be revisited. A decision was taken to review the demand for the following 15-20 years without the need for further development by assumption for routing the substation construction traffic through the village of Bicker. ensuring there was sufficient space within the compound for a further two Following engineering studies and consultation with the Highways Authority, it was transformers. confirmed that all construction traffic and construction materials would instead be taken to the site by vehicles turning west off the A17 to the north east of the site and 4.237 NGET is responsible for undertaking work at the existing substation to facilitate travelling north along a new dedicated access road that will be constructed specifically connection of the TKOWF. These works are referred to as “Enabling Works”. Potential for construction traffic. The track will be routed alongside the edges of fields, where cumulative effects of the Enabling Works are considered within the ES. practical and along parts of the cable route haul road. This will keep the vast majority of 4.238 The Enabling Works undertaken by NGET to facilitate the connection of the TKES will the construction traffic to the A road network and significantly reduce impacts on the be limited to works within the current Bicker Fen substation compound and on the village of Bicker.

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current hard-standing footprint (see Figure 4-20). These works include the installation section, as only a single unlicensed bay may be located on the southern end of the of new switchgear and busbars and associated earthworks. substation. 4.239 Once the Enabling Works are complete, TKOWFL will be able to populate the NGET 4.245 The cable route has been designed to avoid the hard constraint presented by the pylon connection bays and connect the 400 kV cables. This work is known as the Unlicensed shown in Figure 4-20, whilst minimising the impact on the landscaping. However, Works. TKOWFL is seeking consent to undertake the Unlicenced Works within the TKOWFL has been unable to avoid all of the landscaping around the compound, TKES application. including some of the groups of trees shown in National Grid’s Planting Proposals Plan. Site Layout and Design 4.246 In order to minimise the removal of landscape planting in this area, the working width of 4.240 The Unlicensed Works will take place entirely within the existing footprint of the the cable corridor has been narrowed to 20 m in the northern field, within which a substation compound. The location of the new above ground infrastructure is limited to permanent easement of up to 6 m will be located. Cables will be placed within buried, the two areas within the existing compound that are identified in Figure 4-20 as the concrete cable troughs for this short section in order to minimise the permanent ‘Maximum footprint of unlicensed bays required for the TKES within the existing NGET reduction in landscape planting. The cable corridor is widened to 30 m in the southern Bicker Fen compound’. field, which has far less existing screening, to maximise the possible separation from 4.241 The location of at least one of the bays required for TKOWF in the north eastern end of the pylon. the National Grid Substation takes advantage of the existing Western Power 4.247 Where landscaping is removed during construction within the working width, outside of Distribution (WPD) substation that is adjacent to the northern boundary of the National the permanent easement, it will be replaced once construction is complete. This will be Grid substation. The visual impact of the introduction of this new electrical secured through the final Landscape Strategy and Ecological Management Plan. infrastructure is minimised from views to the south and south-east (from the village of Bicker) owing to its location in front the existing WPD infrastructure from those views. 4.248 TKOWFL has committed ensuring the screening in the area labelled as the ‘construction and cable route exclusion area’ on Figure 4-20 will remain, as will the 4.242 The location of the second bay within one of the two of these two defined areas will mature tree line along Vicarage Drove. depend on a number of factors, including the detailed design of the equipment required and the final layout of the Enabling Works being undertaken by NGET. If both bays are located at the northern end cabling will not be required within the green squared area shown on Figure 4-20 and no additional above ground infrastructure will be constructed in the southern part of the compound. This is secured within the draft Development Consent Order (Application Document 3.1) 4.243 Further information on the works required at the National Grid Bicker Fen substation can be found in Volume 3, Chapter 1 Project Description within the ES. Site selection analysis 4.244 As part of NGET’s planning permission, a Planting Proposals Plan was agreed with BBC on 18th July 2006. Appendix M of the SS&DR (Application Document 8.17) shows the approved planting scheme with the proposed TKES works overlaid. A short section of the TKES cable corridor that may be required, crosses through a field within which extensive new tree planting has been undertaken by NGET to provide screening of the substation to minimise landscape and visual impacts (see ‘Area within which permanent 6 m-wide 400 kV cable corridor will be loated’ on Appendix M of the SS&DR (Application Document 8.17)). A maximum of two 400 kV circuits are required for this

4-60 519500 520000

Legend: Wind Farm Proposed Development Boundary XXXConstruction and cable exclusion area - existing planting to be retained 2.4m XXX Area within which permanent Wind Turbine "" 6m-wide 400kV cable corridor will be located "" Maximum footprint of unlicensed bays required for the Triton Knoll Electrical System within the existing National Grid Bicker Fen compound Existing Bicker Fen National Grid Substation Compound - Extent of cabling, laydown and access Power Station Existing Western Power Distribution Drain Track Substation (provided for information only) TCC 26 400 kV A/C cables from Triton Knoll Substation to the National Grid Substation Temporary Construction Compound (TCC) Onshore Cable Corridor

TCC 1 TCC number """"""""""""""""" """"""""""""""""" Wind Farm El Sub Sta """"""""""""""""" ETL"""""""""""""""""XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX """""""""""""""""XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX """""""""""""""""XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX """""""""""""""""XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXPower Station XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Drain """""""""""""""""XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 2.3m Notes:- """"""""""""""""" This map contains data from the following sources- Drain XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ordnance Survey

338500 """""""""""""""""XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Coordinate System: British National Grid Permanent Access XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Projection: Transverse Mercator """"""""""""""""" Datum: OSGB 1936 Road to the substation XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXDrain Units: Meter """""""""""""""""XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX """""""""""""""""XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX """""""""""""""""XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX """""""""""""""""XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Drain Source: Global Land Cover Facility, www.landcover.org. """""""""""""""""XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXDrain

"""""""""""""""""Drain """"""""""""""""" A17 Pond

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© Crown copyright, All rights reserved. 2014 License number 0100031673 Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2014 0°30'0"W 0°20'0"W 0°10'0"W 0°0'0" 0°10'0"E 0°20'0"E 0°30'0"E 0°40'0"E 0°50'0"E 1°0'0"E

Legend: Triton Knoll OWF Array Boundary Proposed Development Boundary 53°30'0"N 53°20'0"N

Notes:- This map contains data from the following sources-

53°10'0"N Ordnance Survey (2014) Coordinate System: WGS 1984 UTM Zone 31N Projection: Transverse Mercator Datum: WGS 1984 Units: Meter

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Figure 4-21 Proposed Development Boundary

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© Crown copyright, All rights reserved. 2014 License No. EK001-20140601. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2014. Not to be used for navigation. Triton Knoll Offshore Wind Farm Ltd Triton Knoll Electrical System Environmental Statement - Volume 1

Summary  Vision for Skegness (2013). Informed by: An initial assessment into the proposed Skegness Relief Road undertaken by AECOM in 2013. The assessment provides 4.249 The site selection for the TKES has been a complicated and challenging process. The a highways and transportation overview and also covers issues of Flood Risk, principal aim has always been to establish the most appropriate location for the Archaeology, Ecology, Air Quality and Noise; A transport appraisal of the infrastructure by ensuring that specialist knowledge about environmental, construction proposed ‘Skegness to Ingoldmells Western Strategic Link Road’ undertaken by and commercial impacts is balanced with local knowledge about the land where the Faber Maunsell in 2004. infrastructure is proposed to be situated. Local knowledge includes landowners, statutory and non-statutory bodies in addition to local communities. 4.250 For this balance to be successfully and robustly achieved, TKOWFL recognises the importance of decision-making being recorded in an open and transparent way. As such, there has been significant reliance on the use of evaluation matrices to reach conclusions on the preferred options, which are an established quantitative technique used to rank multi-dimensional options. These allow subjective opinions to be made more objective and sensitivity analysis to be performed to test conclusions. The final evaluation matrices can be found in the SS&DR (Application Document 8.17). 4.251 The conclusions to the site selection work have resulted in proposals which have minimised impacts on the environment, landowners and communities and ensured that TKOWFL can fulfil its obligations to develop an economic, efficient and coordinated system. The full plans can be viewed in the Figures from Chapter 1, Project Description in Volume 3. Figure 4-21 shows the proposed development boundary for the onshore and offshore cable route, landfall and above ground infrastructure.

References

 EIA Regulations (2009) Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2009 (SI 2263).  Department of Communities and Local Government (January 2013) ‘Planning Act 2008: Guidance on the pre-application process’  National Electricity Transmission System Security and Quality of Supply Standards (2014) - http://www2.nationalgrid.com/UK/Industry- information/Electricity-codes/System-Security-and-Quality-of-Supply-Standards/  Lincolnshire Coastal Grazing Marsh project http://www.lincsmarshes.org.uk/  National Grid Company (NGC) “The Horlock Rules” National Grid Guidance on Siting of Substations (http://www.nationalgrid.com/uk/Electricity/MajorProjects/NorthWestCoastConnect ions/Documents/Index.htm)  The Electricity Act 1989

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