The UK Government has approved the development of transmission infrastructure to connect two offshore wind farms, Morecambe and Morgan, to the national grid.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero granted development consent for the Morgan and Morecambe Offshore Wind Farms Transmission Assets project.
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This project is set to transmit power from the 480MW Morecambe wind farm and the adjacent 1.5GW Morgan wind project off north-west England.
The approval allows for the construction of a joint system of transmission assets including offshore export cables, onshore landfall facilities, export cables running to substations and other related onshore infrastructure.
These components are designed to link the offshore sites to the National Grid substation at Penwortham.
The application for consent was initially filed by Morgan Offshore Wind and Morecambe Offshore Windfarm on 21 October 2024.
The Planning Inspectorate accepted the application for examination on 18 November 2024. This examination included formal opportunities for participation by local communities, statutory consultees, local authorities and other interested parties over a six-month period.
Public views and evidence were considered throughout the process, with recommendations submitted to the Secretary of State on 29 January 2026.
The Planning Inspectorate noted this was the 113th energy application out of 181 examined to date and was completed within the required statutory timetable.
Baroness Curran made the final decision on behalf of the Energy Secretary’s legal authority.
While the Morecambe wind farm project is proceeding as planned, the future of the Morgan project is under review.
After the examination period, EnBW and JERA Nex bp decided not to proceed with the Agreement for Lease for Morgan.
However, ownership of the Morgan project remains with EnBW and JERA Nex bp, who, alongside Morecambe Offshore Windfarm and the Crown Estate, are currently considering the next steps for the site.
The two transmission systems covered by this approval are electrically separate, serving each wind farm independently.
Both projects are located in the Irish Sea, with the Morgan site situated 22.22km from the Isle of Man and 37.13km from the north-west coast of England, across an area of approximately 300km².
