The FAB Project interconnector between Britain and France has taken another major step forward for the offshore cable works within the Bailiwick of Guernsey territorial waters.
In response to the application submitted in January 2017, a licence known as the ‘FEPA Licence’ has been issued by the Office of Environmental Health and Pollution Regulation (OEHPR) which will allow FAB Link to build and maintain the proposed subsea interconnector within the territorial sea limit of Alderney for the route that makes landfall on Alderney.
The OEHPR has also confirmed that the application submitted in November 2017 for an alternative offshore cable route around Alderney does not require a FEPA Licence as the proposed works are entirely outside of the 3 nautical mile territorial sea limit of Alderney. As with the original application submitted in December 2016, the offshore alternative route has been designed to enable the connection of future tidal stream energy in States of Alderney waters.
The FAB Project will link the national electricity grids of Britain and France with the aim of increasing energy security, cutting consumers’ bills, and enabling greater use of greener, low-carbon electricity. The 220km subsea and underground 1.4GW interconnector is due to make landfall in the UK at Budleigh Salterton in East Devon.
Chris Jenner, the FAB Project’s Development Manager, said: “These decisions represent another significant step forward for our proposals.
“We have now secured all the necessary offshore permissions that will enable the FAB Project to install and maintain the marine cables between Britain and France, whether we choose to progress the original route that makes landfall at Alderney or the alternative route around Alderney.
“Both options retain the ability for the FAB Project to provide a route to market for future tidal stream energy generation from the waters around Alderney.