Positive
Project advancing - milestone achieved
High Impact
Major milestone or critical setback
On 27 October 2023, East Devon District Council granted FAB Link Limited updated planning permission for the HVDC converter station east of the Harriers Court Industrial Estate, near Exeter airport. The permission reflects the redesigned scheme submitted following the 2023 capacity reduction from 1,400 MW to 1,250 MW, which the developer adopted to reduce the project's overall environmental footprint and improve cost efficiency. The converter station forms the GB landside terminal of the cross-Channel HVDC interconnector, sitting at the end of the onshore HVDC cable route from the Budleigh Salterton landfall and connecting into National Grid's Exeter 400 kV substation. Project director James Dickson said the unanimous decision recognised the overwhelming public interest in the project and the longstanding engagement the project had with stakeholders. This consent supersedes the earlier 2017 outline planning permission for the larger 1,400 MW design and is one of the principal GB planning consents the project relies on ahead of any final investment decision.