RWE and SSE’s 1 GW North Falls Offshore Wind project moves forward (UK)

The UK Planning Inspectorate has accepted for examination a Development Consent Order (DCO) for the up to 1 GW North Falls Offshore Wind project, which will be developed by a joint venture between RWE and SSE Renewables, and located off the south-eastern coast of the UK, in the North Sea.

The North Falls project now moves into the pre-examination phase of the consenting process for major infrastructure projects, with the next phase expected to begin in early 2025. The project is a proposed extension to the southern array of the existing 504 MW Greater Gabbard Offshore Wind Farm, a 50/50 joint venture between SSE (operator) and RWE. 

If approved for delivery by the Planning Inspectorate, the North Falls project would support the UK’s target of reaching up to 50 GW of installed offshore wind capacity by 2030. The country had 13.8 GW of offshore wind in 2022 and 14.7 GW at the end of 2023, according to preliminary estimates.