Intertek Appointed by North Sea Wind Power Hub Consortium to Support Pioneering Wind Energy Project
05 Sep 2019
Liphook, Hampshire, UK: Intertek, a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide, has been commissioned by the North Sea Wind Power Hub (NSWPH) programme to undertake a UK permitting and planning study. The study will help the Consortium gain a better understanding of the key environmental legislations, risks and constraints associated with the project.
Consortium partners TenneT Netherlands, TenneT Germany, Energinet, Gasunie and Port of Rotterdam have joined together to develop a large-scale European energy system for offshore wind in the North Sea over the next few decades.
The proposed NSWPH is based on a ‘hub and spoke’ concept, where offshore wind farms will connect to one or several hub islands via alternating current cables. The power is then converted into direct current electricity by converters on the hub islands before being exported by a series of interconnectors (the ‘spokes’) to connecting North Sea countries. Through this ‘hub & spoke’ system, the NSWPH consortium aims to optimise the spatial efficiency of both offshore wind farms and interconnectors in the North Sea. The project may also utilise power-to-gas technologies on the hub islands to convert offshore wind-generated power into hydrogen, which would then be exported via new and existing gas pipelines.
Beth Monkman, Intertek Energy & Water’s Environment Lead, said: “We are very pleased to utilise our extensive stakeholder knowledge and experience of permitting offshore projects in the North Sea while conducting this initial study for such an exciting, internationally-coordinated renewable energy concept.’’
Intertek’s extensive project experience within the North Sea region spans numerous industries and includes the planning and permitting of offshore renewables projects, oil & gas projects on the UK Continental Shelf, and offshore power transmission and telecommunication cable projects. Our many services include Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) and scoping studies, site selection and characterisation, feasibility studies, metocean assessments, and risk management for a variety of offshore renewable developments.
About Intertek:
Intertek is a leading Total Quality Assurance provider to industries worldwide. Our network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 44,000 people in more than 100 countries, delivers innovative and bespoke Assurance, Testing, Inspection and Certification solutions for our customers’ operations and supply chains. Intertek Total Quality Assurance expertise, delivered consistently with precision, pace and passion, enabling our customers to power ahead safely. www.intertek.com
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