Representation by Irene Mary Mitchell
- Date submitted
- 3 November 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
Rampion 2- a summary of the scenario as at October 2023-10-18 The proposed windfarm will consist of up to 90 turbines spread along the coast between Worthing and Bognor Regis. and sited 8 miles from shore at the closest point.The turbines will be 325 metres in height, so 2.2 times the height of the existing Rampion turbines that you can sometimes see from our shoreline. As far as I can tell from the rather crude map available, the western extent will extend as far west as the Aldwick Avenue Estate, although will also be clearly visible from the shoreline of our Aldwick Bay Estate. The following link provides the opinion of the project by the applicant RWE , and details their development timetable. [REDACTED] Let’s take a look at some of the questions and concerns that need your attention:- Q1.For a £3bn investment, Is this a good location to site a windfarm for max efficiency ? • Quite the opposite, as with Rampion 1, over a year the efficiency will be of the order of 35% due to the wind density along this stretch of the coast. By comparison, the same number of turbines located in the North Sea would produce around twice the output. You can check yourself on line via the link [REDACTED] On those days when there are high pressure conditions along the coast, the sea is calm and the wind light. These are the sort of day when you hear that immigrant boat crossings are very high, and a check of the output from the windfarm could be as low as 1-2%. A rather unfortunate coincidence. It must be remembered that every time such low outputs are recorded, electricity is still in demand and it is necessary to have sources of generation available 24/7 to make up the shortfall. Q2. Are there any alternative green sources of energy that could be deployed in this part of the Country to avoid the need for Rampion 2 ? • Well, two suggestions come to mind right away. One is the potential to deploy a SMR (small modular reactor) made by Rolls Royce on the site of the previous defunct Nuclear Power Station at Dungeness. Seems the site has already been shortlisted, and the SMR at a cost of £2bn would be cheaper than the £3bn Rampion 2 cost and last 60 years as opposed to 25 years. Would produce energy on a 24/7 basis. No contest there? The second alternative would be to give the go ahead for the Aquind interconnector link to France, planned to come ashore at Portsmouth. Currently this is waiting for the Secretary of State to make a decision. Either alternative would remove the need for Rampion 2 Q3. Is there any mitigation measure that can compensate for the visual impact that installing a steel and concrete building site along the length of the coastline will have for residents having a direct view of the coastline, or for walkers and visitors transversing the South Downs Coastal path ? • Well, none in my opinion.It will be a total disaster. If you were planning a holiday abroad, say in a beautiful Greek or Caribbean resort, would you in all honesty choose a site with a dominant industrial aspect as opposed to an idyllic unspoilt outlook ? No doubt it will discourage visitors from taking a vacation in West Sussex with the knock on effect on business and the leisure industry. These were the conclusions reached in Dorset when the Navitus Bay windfarmin Dorstet was up for approval, and ultimately refused permsiion in 2015 as a result. Additionally, the turbines will be fitted with blinking red lights at night (for aircraft safety) that will be highly visible from the shoreline and effect the environment of any residence with a seaview. Just imagine the impact for all those thousands of flats that face the sea along the coast between Bognor Regis and Worthing. Q4. What will be the sea aspect consequences of constructing Rampion 2 ? • The timetable anticipated is for the foundations and turbine assembly to take place covers the period 2027-2029. During this time, the installation of the foundations will take place , with the piles being driven into the seabed day after day for months on end. The noise will be horrific and the seabed disturbance and marine life ecology will be badly effected. The seabed will be further impacted by the dredging of channels to lay the cables connecting each turbine, resulting in the displacement of a huge amount of sediment that will effect the kelp forest, sealife in general and be very unpleasant for swimmers and people taking part in water sports along the coastline. I have already spoken to the crabbing industry in Selsey who have told me they have received offers of compensation from RWE (indirectly) as an anticipated disruption to the crab breeding grounds is expected during the construction phase. A more detailed analysis of the ecology prediction is taking place by [REDACTED] who are preparing a local impact report to submit to ExA. Q5. What consequences are there for installing the new onshore cable connection linking the windfarm to the National Grid ? • The plan is for the cables to come ashore at Clymping and traverse 36Km through the South Downs to a new substation to be constructed near Cowfold. This will be a long drawn out process and the potential for traffic chaos on the A259 ,A272 and A281 is very high whilst the heavy machinery and installation materials are moved into place. There will be damage to trees, hedgerows and land areas set aside for encouraging wildlife and protected birds species. Q6. What Financial Implications will there be for West Sussex in general, and residents in particular ? • A survey carried out in Dorset in 2014/15 for the Navitus Bay windfarm project, predicted a significant negative effect on jobs and tourism had the project been given approval. West Sussex is in a similar position, in that west of Brighton the attraction of West Sussex is in the natural beauty of the coastline and the South Downs National Park. “Glorious Goodwood” did not get its tag for nothing. As for property owners, we know from estate agents Coastguards and White & Brooks that they anticipate a reduction in coastal property prices if Rampion 2 succeeds in getting approval. Q7. Will Rampion1 and Rampion2 be a long term solution to creating green energy in the South ? • The finite life of 25 years is the critical factor. Rampion1 was commissioned in 2018, so will need dismantling or renewing by 2043. Renewal is unlikely as turbine technology will have moved on from 2018 and SMRs are likely to be much more widely in use. So, a messy period of dismantling will be necessary and a problem of waste disposal to face. Rampion 2 would face the same scenario by 2055 assuming it came into operation in 2030