Construction

Geological Profile:

o Upper layer: Clay (1–2 meters depth).

o Middle layer: Thanet Formation sand (15–25 meters)—soft, waterlogged, and unconsolidated.

o Bedrock: Upper Cretaceous chalk (15–25 meters depth)—target for structural support.

The proposed converter station requires deep piling to 20 meters and a 2-meter tall stone platform necessitating approximately 300,000 tonnes (16,000 HGV lorry loads) of aggregate to stabilize the site.

Permanent Access Road: A 1-kilometer access road across the marsh will require ongoing maintenance due to subsidence risks, evidenced by the nearby A256 Sandwich Road, which incurred £1.5 million in repairs in 2014 following 10–15 cm of subsidence on comparable marsh soils. Drainage and unbudgeted piling for this road further increase financial exposure.

Construction traffic (proposed 7am - 7pm 7 days a week), noise, and temporary compounds would compound disturbances from past and ongoing projects. Residents in nearby Ramsgate, Sandwich, Cliffsend, Pegwell Bay Village and Minster could face prolonged disruption.