The European Investment Bank has agreed to provide GBP 168 million for a new connection between the Lincs offshore wind farm and the UK national transmission network.
The approximately 100 kilometres connection, between high voltage transmission connections on the mainland and the 270MW Lincolnshire wind farm, has been tendered under a dedicated regulatory regime for offshore transmission networks by OFGEM, the UK gas and electricity market regulator. The transmission connection to the Lincs wind farm, 8 kilometres off the Skegness coast, will include one offshore substation and connect to the national transmission network at an onshore substation at Walpole, Norfolk. The Lincs wind farm will comprise 75 turbines. Assets for the Lincs offshore transmission connection have been developed by Lincs Wind Farm Limited, a joint venture between Centrica, Dong Energy and Siemens Project Ventures. Under the OFTO regime the transmission assets will be transferred to Transmission Capital Partners, a consortium comprising Amber Infrastructure, International Public Partnerships and Transmission Investment, who will own and operate the connection under a twenty year agreement.
