Regulatory Other

Outer Dowsing Offshore Wind reached a key regulatory milestone when the Development Consent Order (DCO) examination phase concluded in April 2025. This followed acceptance of the project’s DCO application in April 2024, marking the transition from application validation into detailed scrutiny. During the examination, the project’s proposals for a 1.5 GW offshore wind farm in the Southern North Sea, including its cable route to landfall at Wolla Bank and onward to a new substation at Surfleet Marsh, were assessed in depth. The process incorporated evidence and representations gathered through multiple rounds of consultation and onshore and offshore surveys completed between 2022 and 2024. The examination was overseen by The Planning Inspectorate, which is responsible for testing the application, reviewing environmental information, and considering feedback from local communities and stakeholders. The formal close of the examination in April 2025 signified that the inspecting authority had completed its questioning, hearings, and evidence-gathering and was in a position to finalise its recommendation. This recommendation then informed the subsequent consent decision by the UK Government in February 2026. The conclusion of the examination phase therefore represented the end of intensive regulatory review and a critical step toward securing development consent, enabling the project to move from late-stage development into preparing for construction and delivery of one of the UK’s largest offshore wind farms.