The project consists of the already consented Gunfleet Sands 1 project (marked with grey on the picture), which has consent to construct up to 30 turbines, each of a maximum capacity of 3.6MW, thus yielding a total capacity of 108MW, and a proposed extension (Gunfleet Sands 2 - marked with blue). The total area of the phase 1 develop-ment is 10km ² and 7.5km ² for phase 2.

















The proposed extension, Gunfleet Sands 2, was awarded a lease option agreement by Crown Estate in December 2003 and includes up to 22 turbines with a maximum total capacity of 64MW. Due to lease conditions set by the Crown Estate, the Gunfleet Sands 2 site has had to be located at least 8km from the nearest coast.

The Gunfleet Sands 1 project and associated offshore substation, array cabling and export cable received consents in 2003 and 2004. The Gunfleet Sands 2 development will utilize the on-shore electricity connection consented for Gunfleet Sands 1 and thus consents are only sought for turbines and array cabling.

A separate planning process has been initiated for the extension of the project and is now coming to the final stage. A comprehensive scoping report was issued in December 2006 allowing stakeholders to feed into the environmental impact process. The potential impacts have now been assessed and an environmental statement has been submitted to Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Marine and Fisheries Agency in June 2007.

If Gunfleet Sands 2 is consented the aim is to develop the total project at one and the same time. The construction phase for the total project comprising Gunfleet Sands 1 and 2 will commence in the first half of 2008 and turbines will be installed during 2009 as shown in the project programme on the right.

The electricity export cable from the offshore wind farm will come ashore at Holland Haven. The map shows the cable route from the landfall at Holland Haven to the existing substation at Cooks Green.
See map

Horizontal Directional Drilling will be required to install the cable under the seawall at Holland Haven (between the radar mast and Clacton Sailling Club), under Holland Bridge, Fan Bridge and under the Clacton to Colchester railway line. Where directional drilling is used, ducts are installed before the cable is pulled through. The directional drilling will take up to four weeks at each site with one week for preparation of the site, two weeks for the drilling and one week for reinstatement of the site.

After directional drilling work has been completed, the onshore cables will be installed. Three separate power cables and a smaller communications cable will be laid in a 'trefoil' arrangement, using a combination of open trenching and installation in ducts.
See following diagrams: 
Cable cross section
Trench section

Preliminary investigation works at Holland Bridge and the railway crossing will commence in the last week of February 2008. Soil samples will be taken and analysed to assess ground conditions prior to excavations at joint locations and directional drilling activities.

Between Holland Haven and Holland Bridge along the road sections, the cables will be installed in ducts. An open trench will be excavated along the road (or in the verge where permitted) allowing the ducts to be installed in relatively short sections (15-25m lengths). Once the cable ducts have been laid and any additional areas of open trench required have been excavated, the cables will be pulled through the ducted section in approximately 400m lengths.

A separate 430m section of the communications cable will also be installed from the landfall to the nearby radar facility. A smaller trench will be excavated across the amenity area parallel to the footpath overlooking the foreshore.

From Holland Bridge to Clacton substation the cable route passes through agricultural land. The cables will be installed in a similar manner, with the individual cable sections varying between 400m and 800m in length. The cables can be installed once all directional drilling is complete, ducts are installed and any areas of open trench excavated. After the cables have been installed, all sections will be joined together and the full cable system will be tested. After this has been successfully completed final reinstatement of the site will take place.

Construction vehicles will use existing roads and temporary access roads along the cable route where possible. There will be little disruption to local traffic along the majority of the cable route which passes mostly through private land. The only section where traffic is likely to be affected is for a short distance along Frinton Road and along the access road to Holland Haven car park where excavation will take place in the road or verge. Traffic lights will be in operation in these locations during construction, which is presently expected to commence in April/May along Frinton Road and just after summer in the Holland Haven country park area.

The location of residential areas on shore combined with environmentally protected areas, the integrity of the sea defences and the risk of disturbance during construction have been evaluated as the best option considering all aspects.
For more information see the FAQs.