Energy Consenting & Real Estate

We are acting on some of the biggest and most innovative current UK projects, taking a leading role on many of the UK’s most significant energy projects. In 2020 CMS was appointed (following competitive tender) on one of the UK’s first major hydrogen generation projects – Project Cavendish for National Grid. This complements our continued work on offshore wind, including mandates in The Crown Estate Round 4 for three major players: Equinor (formerly Statoil), EDF Renewables, and Flotation Energy. In 2020 we continued advising on several DCO matters, including for Stag Energy, Cadent, SSE and Equnior. These included successfully securing a series of change orders to the Dogger Bank Offshore Wind Farm DCOs (3,600MW), the biggest offshore windfarm in the world. There is also an increased appetite in the market for energy companies to look to their compulsory purchase powers, and we are advising SSE, Red Rock Power and Greenlink on promoting CPOs (including acting for the promoter in the first online CPO inquiry in November of this year).

Our recent experience related to energy consenting and real estate includes advising:

• SSE and Equinor on all planning matters for the Dogger Bank A and B offshore wind farms, two 1.2GW projects forming part of the world’s largest offshore wind farm 
• On Cleve Hill Solar Farm, the biggest UK solar project situated in Kent. It will provide enough power for nearly 100,000 homes and is being developed on a subsidy-free basis. We were successful in securing voluntary land rights for its 350MW solar DCO project in Kent, including for the cable route to the Point of Connection and easements in relation to flood defences. 
• A major energy company on its consenting strategy for a multi-phased hydrogen production facility and associated infrastructure.
• A major company on a number of new gas pipeline projects and the promotion of DCOs. CMS is currently advising on the promotion of two NSIPs for gas pipeline diversions as part of Highways England schemes.
• A major tech company on rapid expansion into numerous European countries to secure land rights for new data centre sites. We have also advised on securing new electricity connections for the developments and on associated energy regulatory compliance. 

To find out more about other related services you can visit the Energy & Climate Change expertise section.