Burbo Bank Extension OFTO
OperationalOffshore GridGB258 MW220 kV34.7 km2016
Basic information
9 fieldsAlso Known As
Burbo Bank Extension OFTO · Burbo Bank Extension transmission assets · Burbo Bank Extension (BBE) offshore transmission project · BBW02 Transmission Assets · BBW02 · Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm
Status
operational
Capacity
258 MW
Project Company
Type
offshore grid
Transmission Model
Developer Build & Transfer
Expected Life
20 years
Supply Chain (9)
Project Timeline (29)
Apr 2018Revenue Secured
In April 2018, following completion of its cost assessment, Ofgem granted the offshore electricity transmission licence for the Burbo Bank Extension project to Diamond Transmission Partners BBE Limited and set the final assessed transfer value of the transmission assets at £193.903 million, which the OFTO incorporated into its 20‑year tender revenue stream under the licence.
26 Apr 2018Stake Transaction
Ofgem granted Diamond Transmission Partners BBE Limited (a Mitsubishi Corporation / HICL Infrastructure consortium) a licence to own and operate the 258 MW Burbo Bank Extension offshore transmission assets on 26 April 2018. The transfer value was GBP 193.9 million. The assets were transferred from Orsted under Ofgem's OFTO Tender Round 4.
Diamond Transmission Partners acquired from Ørsted (100%)
25 Apr 2018Other Permit Awarded
Authority: Ofgem · Licence: Offshore electricity transmission licence for the Burbo Bank Extension (BBE) transmission assets
Ofgem, acting through the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority, granted an offshore electricity transmission licence to Diamond Transmission Partners BBE Limited for the Burbo Bank Extension offshore transmission assets, enabling the consortium to own and operate the BBE transmission system and receive the regulated OFTO revenue stream based on the assessed final transfer value.
Mar 2018Public Consultation
Authority: Ofgem · Licence: Draft cost assessment report and section 8A Electricity Act consultation for Burbo Bank Extension offshore transmission licence
In March 2018, Ofgem published a draft cost assessment report for the Burbo Bank Extension offshore transmission project alongside a consultation under section 8A of the Electricity Act 1989. The draft report, reflecting Ofgem’s assessment of the economic and efficient costs of developing and constructing the BBE transmission assets, was issued to stakeholders as part of the proposed licence modifications and to feed into the final determination of the transmission asset transfer value.
2017Onss Commissioned
Commissioning of the Burbo Bank Extension onshore substation electrical apparatus was completed in 2017, after installation of all turbines on the associated wind farm was finished in April 2017. The onshore substation construction site had to remain operational longer than originally anticipated so that full‑load tests and parallel commissioning of the substation equipment could be carried out before the transmission assets were handed over to the OFTO.
Apr 2017Procurement OtherStale
Authority: Ofgem · Licence: Planned announcement of preferred bidder for Burbo Bank Extension OFTO tender
Ofgem stated that it expected to announce details of the preferred bidder for the Burbo Bank Extension OFTO transmission link in April 2017, as the next step in OFTO Tender Round 4 following bidder shortlisting.
Apr 2017Commercial Operations Full Power
The Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm transmission system was fully commissioned in April 2017. The 258 MW project's offshore transmission assets, including export cables and offshore substation, reached full operational status, enabling power export from all 32 MHI Vestas 8 MW turbines to the onshore grid.
Feb 2017Regulatory Other
In February 2017, after receiving further cost information from the developer, Ofgem determined an indicative transfer value of £180.6 million for the Burbo Bank Extension transmission assets, and provided this estimate to bidders at the Enhanced Pre‑Qualification and Invitation to Tender stages as the assumed asset transfer price.
21 Nov 2016First Power
On 21 November 2016, the Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm exported electricity to the UK national grid for the first time, confirming successful energisation of the project’s 258 MW transmission link, including the export cable and associated substation equipment. Developer DONG Energy reported that power from the first installed MHI Vestas 8 MW turbine was being delivered to the grid, demonstrating that both the generation and offshore transmission systems were operating as intended.
13 Sept 2016Procurement Other
Authority: Ofgem · Licence: Shortlisting of bidders in OFTO Tender Round 4 for Burbo Bank Extension transmission link
On 13 September 2016 Ofgem announced a shortlist of five bidder consortia competing to own and run the approximately £230 million transmission link to the Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm under the OFTO regime.