PLANS for the Seagreen 1A onshore substation at Cockenzie have been unanimously approved by East Lothian Council’s planning committee.
The Seagreen 1A project is a proposal to build the remaining 36 consented offshore wind turbines adjacent to Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm, which required a separate grid connection through the Cockenzie substation.
SSE Renewables said that the proposed onshore substation is therefore an ‘essential’ component to enable connection into the national electricity grid and help Scotland reach a net zero carbon future.
With all planning consent now secured, the developers – SSE Renewables and TotalEnergies – said that they will continue to engage fully with the supply chain over the coming months to drive the project forward. Delivery of the project is subject to securing an economic route to market ahead of a final investment decision.
Simon Hindson, lead onshore consents manager for Seagreen, said, “We welcome the continued support from East Lothian Council. We have worked hard on the detailed designs and all the proposed Seagreen 1A substation buildings will be significantly lower in height than the existing substation next door.
“Our plans have also been well received comprising a collection of smaller buildings, rather than one larger building, and for being set back from the road allowing for the incorporation of landscaping.”
