Our operations

Project development

Following Government consent and Centrica Board approval, we propose to build Lincs 8 kilometres (5 miles) off the Lincolnshire coast, immediately to the east of the Lynn and Inner Dowsing wind farms.

Grid connection

Following a feasibility study into possible grid connections in October 2005, we received and accepted a grid connection offer from National Grid at Walpole, in west Norfolk.

Export cables for Lincs will be buried within the seabed and then once onshore buried underground to Walpole. Although burying onshore cables is a more expensive option, this will avoid the visual impact of pylons and overhead power lines. An extension to the substation is required to transform the power from 132kV to 400kV before being delivered into the electricity network.

Environmental assessments

When assessing consent applications, Government Ministers are required to consider the impacts of projects. To help this process, we carried out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and submitted an environmental report with our consent application in January 2007.

The report was considered by key stakeholders and was subject to public scrutiny and comment. Stakeholders' comments were taken into account by the consenting authorities prior to reaching the decision to award consent.

Public consultation

We carried out public opinion research for the Lincs project to support our application for consent. This showed nearly 85% in support for the development.

• Download the Lincs Public Opinion Report PDF (0.10Mb)

We are committed to keeping members of the public in the region informed of developments. Annually since 2005, we have publicised and mounted public exhibitions in Skegness, King's Lynn and Hunstanton. Members of the development team were on hand to explain the projects and to answer questions.

The Lincs onshore works will involve:

• Laying two underground 132kV cables from the landfall point to the east of the mouth of the River Nene to Walpole substation
• Building a new substation adjacent to the existing on at Walpole St Peter

Some initial site enabling work on the Walpole substation site has been completed to provide improved safety for traffic entering and leaving the site. The main construction works will be carried out from March 2010 and will be completed by August 2011. Siemens Transmission & Distribution Ltd has been appointed by Centrica as the main contractor for the onshore works.

For details of Lincs onshore construction, please download the PDF document from the Useful Downloads section of this website.