Regulatory Other

In July 2024, the Development Consent Order (DCO) application for the Dogger Bank South offshore wind farm projects was formally accepted by the UK Planning Inspectorate for examination. The Dogger Bank South scheme comprises two separate sites, DBS East and DBS West, located over 100 km off the northeast coast of England and being developed by RWE. Acceptance of the DCO application marked a key procedural milestone, confirming that the submission met the Planning Inspectorate’s standards for a full examination phase under the UK’s nationally significant infrastructure planning regime. This step followed earlier project milestones, including RWE entering into Agreements for Lease for the two Dogger Bank South projects with The Crown Estate in January 2023, and Masdar’s acquisition of a 49% stake in December 2023, with the shareholding agreement finalised in February 2024. With the DCO application accepted, the projects moved into a structured examination process, during which the Planning Inspectorate considers the application documentation, representations, and evidence before making a recommendation to the Secretary of State. For the Dogger Bank South West site, as one of the two DBS projects, this acceptance signalled that its combined offshore and onshore development proposals had advanced beyond initial preparation into formal scrutiny. The same source notes that the examination subsequently closed in July 2025, with a consent decision anticipated within six months, underlining that the July 2024 acceptance was the gateway to this intensive examination period and a necessary precursor to any eventual development consent.