Centrica Energy, a part of an integrated energy company Centrica plc, has submitted a planning application, seeking planning permission for a 620MW offshore wind farm in the Greater Wash area of the North Sea.

Centrica, which owns British Gas in the UK, Direct Energy in North America, SPE in Belgium and Oxxio in The Netherlands, submitted an application for the Race Bank project to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

The application follows a full environmental impact assessment for the wind farm site, 17.4miles off the Lincolnshire coast and 16.8 miles off the north Norfolk coast.

According to the company, Race Bank would be capable of supplying clean electricity to around 420,000 British Gas customers.

The development would include up to three offshore substations. The Race Bank development would be connected to the National Grid network at the existing Walpole substation.

Race Bank is one of three offshore wind farms Centrica is developing as part of Round Two of the Crown Estate's offshore wind leasing programme, along with the Docking Shoal project, which is awaiting planning consent, and the consented Lincs offshore wind farm.

In October last year, the 250 MW Lincs wind farm project, five miles off the Lincolnshire coast, received official consent. Subject to Centrica Board approval, a construction timetable for Lincs will be announced in due course. DECC is also considering Centrica's planning application for the Docking Shoal wind farm, 12 miles off the coast of Lincolnshire and 8.7 miles off the north Norfolk coast.

It is expected that the development of these Greater Wash projects would take place through to around 2015.