Norfolk MPs Duncan Baker, George Freeman, and Jerome Mayhew have met with Kwasi Kwarteng, Minister of State at the Department of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, to discuss a future offshore ring main to serve the renewable energy industry off the coast of Norfolk.
The three MPs are working together, lobbying the government to look again at the current way offshore wind turbines are connected to the grid. They want to minimise the disruption to Norfolk's countryside and communities by ensuring the government takes a long-term view of sustainable wind energy. The current piecemeal approach of laying cable corridors throughout the region causes damage to the environment and enormous disruption to all residents affected by the cable routes.
By lobbying the government to relook at the current approach, they aim to weight up the benefits of an offshore ring main which would dramatically improve many of the current problems caused by cable corridors.
The meeting on 1st June 2020, was productive, with a clear appetite to look at the situation. Much has changed in recent years with the Norfolk coast providing nearly 60% of all UK wind power by 2030. The meeting was the clearest signal yet that an offshore ring main would be considered, with Minister Kwarteng open to the idea and agreeing that there was appetite to this approach with Ofgem the regulator.
To have three MPs all channelling their energy into the government, calling for a better way to build such important National infrastructure, it is not only good for the environment, our communities but also a long term solution to connecting our future energy needs.
Duncan Baker said, “I welcome the open conversation from the Minister and feel that for the first time we have a genuine ear in the government to help us achieve an offshore ring main. Clean energy from the wind is the right way to hit our net zero targets and we are committed to achieving this goal together.”
Jerome Mayhew said, “The scale of the government’s ambition for offshore wind is enormous, increasing generation from 9Gw to 40Gw by 2030. A piecemeal approach to individual windfarms connecting to the national grid is no longer practical so we will keep pushing OFGEM and the government to come up with a better solution. A good place to start is an offshore ring main.”
George Freeman said, “The speed of adoption of renewable offshore wind energy in the UK has created a real problem in connecting offshore electricity to the grid. We cannot allow the despoiling of 000’s of miles of our beautiful coast and countryside to install a sub-station for each wind farm. We need a joined-up solution which minimises waste, cost and environmental damage - via an Offshore Ring Main. I’m delighted the Minister has signalled his support.”
