Ofgem shortlists bidders for 2.5 GW of offshore wind links

UK energy regulator Ofgem announced on Friday it has shortlisted five tie-ups competing to own and operate the transmission links for three UK offshore wind farms totalling 2.5 GW.

The bidders are:
- Aegir Energy Transmission, a consortium between Macquarie Corporate Holdings Pty Ltd and Frontier Power Ltd;
- Core Transmission Partners, a tie-up of BBGI SICAV SA and Semco Maritime A/S;
- Diamond Transmission Partners, a joint venture between Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp (TYO:8058) and Chubu Electric Power Co Inc (TYO:9502);
- Equitix TEPCO Consortium between Equitix Lts and TEPCO Power Grid Inc;
- Transmission Capital Partners, a consortium between International Public Partnerships Ltd and Transmission Capital Partners Limited Partnership.

The three links that the companies are bidding for are for the 588-MW Beatrice, the 1,218MW Hornsea ONE and the 714-MW East Anglia ONE offshore wind projects. Ofgem said that the competition will now proceed to the final invitation to tender (ITT) stage, after which an offshore transmission owner will be selected for each link. Winners will be awarded 25-year contracts.

The ITT stage for the Beatrice project will commence shortly. For Hornsea ONE is is expected to start in July 2019, while East Anglia ONE's ITT is anticipated in February 2020.

Bidding is taking place under the GBP-2.7-billion (USD 3.5bn/EUR 3.1bn) sixth round of the Offshore Transmission Owner (OTFO) regime.

(GBP 1.0 = USD 1.308/EUR 1.157)

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