Ground investigation works are planned to take place at the East Anglia THREE converter station site between March and August 2021.
These surveys are necessary to further inform the design and environmental mitigation of the project, which received development consent in August 2017.
They include investigation of geology, groundwater and other features at the proposed site of the EA3 converter station to assess the baseline condition of the ground to inform future design and construction phases.
The Site
The investigation will take place at the East Anglia THREE substation site within the defined development area. Boundaries within which work is permitted will be marked-out on the ground and all work is being undertaken with the permission of the relevant landowners.
The Investigation Works
The work will include small teams of people investigating the ground using different methods including soil and groundwater sampling and topographic surveys. The methods used will include ‘JCB-type’ excavators digging to around 4.5 metres and borehole drilling, using vehicle-towed equipment, up to 30 metres below ground level.
For the geological investigation, at any one time across the site, there will be around three machine excavators, three borehole drilling rigs and a vehicle from which a ground penetration device will be used.
Works will take place in line with construction works detailed in the Development Consent Order; between 0700 hours and 1900 hours Monday to Friday and 0700 hours and 1300 hours on Saturdays, with no activity on Sundays or bank holidays.
Minimising Impact of the Investigation
Scottish Power Renewables recognises the critical importance of the local environment. In planning the ground investigation, the locations around the site have been chosen to minimise disturbance to the people, places and landscape within which the investigation will take place.
Ecological and environmental surveys, maps and plans have been consulted and reviewed to avoid any areas where there is any potential risk of ecological disturbance. The investigations will be undertaken with a team including an independent ecological clerk of works (ECoW) and an agricultural liaison officer (ALO). Individual locations will be assessed by the ECoW and work will not be undertaken if the ecological risk is considered by them to be high.
Where the ECoW confirms that the investigation can proceed, it will be done with care and appropriate mitigation. For borehole locations, the depth will be shallow enough so as not to reach or impact upon the Chalk aquifer. No boreholes will be drilled within Environment Agency Source Protections Zone 1 (public water supplies).
No works are planned on Public Rights of Way (PRoW) and no diversions to them are planned. Some PRoW will be used to access and leave the site.
SPR recognises the importance of PRoW to the local community,therefore any that are used for access (with the permission of the landowner), will have notification signs placed to alert users that they may encounter a vehicle, and be photographed prior to starting the works to measure any changes to them as a result of the work which, if required, will be restored to their condition before use.
Following consultation with Suffolk County Council Highways, traffic management systems and signage will be in place to minimise any disruption to local traffic for the duration of these survey works.
After the Investigation
SPR recognise the value of the information that will be gained from the investigations. We aim to make publicly available the information obtained from the soil investigation in the form of borehole logs accessible via the British Geological Survey.
If you have an enquiry about the East Anglia THREE site investigation, please email: