Birkhill Wood substation approved for Dogger Bank wind

In Brief

National Grid has secured planning permission from East Riding Council for the new Birkhill Wood 400kV substation.

The project is intended to connect 4.22GW from three North Sea offshore wind projects: Dogger Bank South East, Dogger Bank South West and Dogger Bank D.

Construction of a new 2km access road off the A1079 has begun, with substation construction expected to start in spring 2027, according to National Grid.

The substation will use gas insulated switchgear, reducing the footprint compared with an air insulated alternative.

Birkhill Wood will also form the northern connection point for the proposed North Humber to High Marnham 400kV reinforcement, linking the project into wider north-south transmission upgrades.

In Review

National Grid has received planning consent for Birkhill Wood, a new 400kV substation in the East Riding of Yorkshire that will provide a connection point for major offshore wind generation from the Dogger Bank area.

The new substation is seen as crucial because the existing infrastructure at Creyke Beck is simply not able to take on the sheer amount of wind power that will be coming from the Dogger Bank wind farm. Thus far, that substation is connected to Dogger Bank A and B, while Dogger Bank C is connected to National Grid's Lackenby substation in Teesside.

Now, for the latest parts of Dogger Bank, which includes Dogger Bank South East and Dogger Bank South West, as well as Dogger Bank D, the plan is to have them all connected into the new substation being constructed at Birkhill Wood.

But Birkhill Wood isn’t planned to work in isolation. It’s being tied into the planned North Humber to High Marnham route, which includes around 90km of new 400kV overhead line between Birkhill Wood and High Marnham.

So, while this is technically just a small story about local planning consent, it’s going to have a major impact on the UK’s ability to get more offshore wind power onto the grid. It also feeds into that larger project that will allow that clean electricity to travel further from its source of generation.

Of course, as with many of these projects, planning is just one hurdle to overcome, but National Grid is keen to get started. Construction on an access road has already begun, with the building of the actual substation expected to commence in Spring 2027.

There’s no rush though, as Dogger Bank South East and Dogger Bank South West may have now cleared the main planning hurdle, with development consent granted in May 2026, they still need to reach a final investment decision before construction.

Meanwhile, Dogger Bank D is further back in the process. It has a confirmed grid connection at Birkhill Wood, but remains a proposed fourth phase that still needs development consent and investment approval.

Daniel Cohen, Senior Project Manager at National Grid, noted, “The substation is needed to connect offshore wind farms to meet growing electricity demand and will help ensure communities across the North East have a resilient and reliable power supply as everyday life becomes increasingly electrified. 

“Strengthening the network is essential to support local businesses, future jobs and the connection of more secure, cleaner, home-grown energy from more affordable sources. 

“We also want host communities to see clear benefits, including community funding for local projects, skills, jobs, and environmental improvements.” 