Morven Offshore Wind Farm has the potential to power the equivalent of three million UK homes every year
Morven Offshore Wind has launched its third round of public consultation on its plans to connect its proposed wind farm, 61km off the east coast of Scotland, to the National Grid at Hawthorn Pit, near Seaham, County Durham.
The consultation opens today, Tuesday 6 October, and runs until Sunday 15 November 2026. It gives local communities and other stakeholders the opportunity to see how feedback from the previous two rounds of consultation has shaped the latest proposals and to comment before the Development Consent Order application is finalised. The Morven Hawthorn Pit Grid Connection Project (the MHPGC Project) is the subject of this consultation. It will carry electricity generated from either the Morven North or the Morven South array to the National Grid substation at Hawthorn Pit via an offshore export cable corridor crossing Scottish and English waters and onshore infrastructure in County Durham.
The MHPGC Project is being developed by Morven Offshore Wind Limited, a joint venture between EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG and JERA Nex bp Limited. Once operational, Morven Offshore Wind Farm has the potential to generate enough renewable energy to power the equivalent of around three million UK homes annually.
Public exhibitions will show how the previous two consultation rounds have shaped the routeing of the proposed offshore and onshore cable corridors and siting of the landfall and substation. This round asks the community to comment on a single refined offshore export cable corridor, one proposed landfall location and an indicative onshore export cable corridor, plus two refined land substation sites.
Thomas Hudson, Morven Offshore Wind Co-Project Director, said: “We have listened carefully to feedback from our first two rounds of consultation, which has helped shape the proposals we are now bringing forward. This next round is an opportunity to test these refined plans with the communities that know the area best before we finalise our application.”
Four public events open to everyone are being held to provide an opportunity to meet the MHPGC Project team, ask questions, and find out more about how plans have developed:
- Friday, 16 October (3pm to 7pm) at Hawthorn Community Centre, Seaham, SR7 8SG;
- Saturday, 17 October (10am to 3pm) at Seaham Scout Centre, Dow House, South Crescent, Seaham, SR7 7HD;
- Tuesday, 3 November (3pm to 7pm) at Robin Todd Community Centre, Front Street, South Hetton, DH6 2TH; and
- Tuesday, 10 November (3pm to 7pm) at Glebe Centre, Durham Place, Murton, SR7 9BX.
An online webinar will also take place on Thursday 22 October from 6pm to 7pm. To register to attend, please visit the MHPGC Project website at www.morvenoffshorewind.com/morven-hawthorn-pit-grid-connection, where you can comment on the proposed development using the online feedback form.
Kate Potter, Morven Offshore Wind Co-Project Director, added: “We would encourage anyone with an interest in the cable route, landfall location or substation sites to come along to one of the exhibitions or have their say online. Every response we receive by 15 November will be considered as we prepare our application.”
More information and consultation materials are available on the MHPGC Project website at www.morvenoffshorewind.com/morven-hawthorn-pit-grid-connection.
Notes to Editors:
About Morven Offshore Wind Farm:
Morven Offshore Wind Farm is a 3GW project 61km off the Scottish coast, comprising two array sites, Morven North and Morven South, together with two grid connection projects, the Morven Hawthorn Pit Grid Connection Project and the Morven Branxton Grid Connection Project.
Once operational, the Morven Offshore Wind Farm has the potential to generate enough renewable energy to power the equivalent of around 3 million UK homes.
Headquartered in Edinburgh, Morven is a 50:50 joint venture between EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG and JERA Nex bp Limited and was awarded an Option to Lease Agreement during Crown Estate Scotland’s ScotWind Leasing Round in 2022.
About the MHPGC Project:
For the onshore and offshore components of the MHPGC Project in England, a development consent order (DCO) application will be made under the Planning Act 2008. Additionally, for those assets located within Scottish waters (specifically, Scottish offshore waters), marine licences will be applied for from the Marine Directorate: Licensing Operations Team, in accordance with the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009.
About Morven North and Morven South:
The section 36 consent applications for Morven North and Morven South have been submitted to the Scottish Government and will be determined by Scottish Ministers.
For more information, visit www.morvenoffshorewind.com or contact media@jnbp.com
