Ofgem completed its cost assessment for the Sheringham Shoal transmission assets and determined an assessed transfer value of approximately £193.1 million (£193,055,580), representing the economic and efficient costs to be used for the regulated transfer of the offshore transmission system to the successful OFTO bidder.
The Authority granted an offshore transmission licence for the Sheringham Shoal transmission assets to Blue Transmission Sheringham Shoal Limited, incorporated by Macquarie Capital Group Limited and Barclays Integrated Infrastructure Fund, enabling the company to earn a regulated tender revenue stream based on the assessed transfer value determined in Ofgem’s cost assessment.
Authority: Ofgem · Licence: Draft cost assessment for Sheringham Shoal transmission assets and related section 8A licence consultation
In March 2013 Ofgem published a draft cost assessment report for the Sheringham Shoal transmission assets and simultaneously opened a consultation on the associated offshore transmission licence under section 8A of the Electricity Act 1989.
In January 2013 a forensic accounting investigation into the Sheringham Shoal transmission asset costs was undertaken by Ernst & Young as part of Ofgem’s cost assessment process, to scrutinise the developer’s cost submissions and supporting information.
In December 2012 the developer of the Sheringham Shoal transmission assets submitted updated cost information to Ofgem, proposing a transfer value of £195.7 million for the sale of the transmission system into the OFTO regime.
An Ofgem-commissioned Ernst & Young Ex Post Financial Cost Review for the Sheringham Shoal Offshore Transmission Assets states that commissioning of the Sheringham Shoal transmission and wind farm assets commenced in March 2011 and that the transmission and wind farm assets were energised in August 2011. The energisation in August 2011 reflects the completion of commissioning and associated system testing of the transmission assets.
By the end of July 2011 the Sheringham Shoal transmission assets (offshore platforms, subsea export cables, onshore export cables and onshore substation) had been fully constructed and commissioned, such that the system was fit for use for the transmission of electricity. Ofgem’s cost assessment notes that interest during construction was only allowable up to this point, as the transmission system had been commissioned and was therefore operational as a complete transmission system from late July 2011.
The two offshore substations for the Sheringham Shoal project were installed on site in spring 2011, completing installation of the offshore platforms that connect the wind farm to the export transmission system.
The new onshore substation at Salle in Norfolk, forming part of the Sheringham Shoal transmission assets that link the offshore export cables from the landfall at Weybourne to the UK Power Networks 132 kV distribution network, was commissioned in late 2010.
The installation of the two long export cables carrying power from the Sheringham Shoal offshore wind farm to the landfall near Weybourne—one approximately 23 km and the other 21 km in length—was completed in late 2010, finalising the offshore export cable laying for the Sheringham Shoal OFTO transmission assets.