UK to have world's largest offshore wind farm
Hornsea One, which is expected to be fully commissioned in 2020, is set to have a capacity of 1.2GW, enough to power more than one million homes, with the project on course to surpass the 660MW Walney 3 wind farm, an extension to the Walney site in the Irish Sea also pioneered by DONG Energy.
The firm is set to use a series of Siemens 7MW wind turbines to cover the farm’s “huge area” of approximately 407 square kilometres, over five times the size of the city of Hull, with each turbine standing at 190 metres tall, taller than London’s Gherkin building.
Energy Secretary Amber Rudd believes that the project shows that the UK is “open for business.”
"Thanks to Government support the UK is the world leader in offshore wind energy and this success story is going from strength to strength. The project is a vote of confidence in the UK and in our plan to tackle the legacy of under-investment and build an energy infrastructure fit for the 21st century.
"This project means secure, clean energy for the country, jobs and financial security for working people and their families, and more skills and growth boosting the Northern Powerhouse."
The new wind system, which could create around 2,000 jobs during its construction, is hoped to boost the UK’s chances of reaching its emissions reduction target for 2020 and bolster the country’s supply chain, while DONG Energy also hold the rights for two extensions to the Hornsea project which could increase the potential total capacity of the farm to 3GW.
Brent Cheshire, UK Chairman of DONG Energy believes Hornsea is a ground-breaking and innovative project, emphasising how the decision to build the wind farm underlines the firm’s commitment to the UK market.
“Hornsea Project One will support the supply chain and help create local jobs. To have the world's biggest ever offshore wind farm located off the Yorkshire coast is hugely significant, and highlights the vital role offshore wind will play in the UK's need for new low-carbon energy," he said.
"This is a historic milestone for Hornsea Project One as we are now making a firm and final commitment to invest fully in the project. Almost a decade on from initial planning, and following years of vital development work from a number of different companies in the supply chain, we are now ready to build the world's largest offshore wind farm."
Maf Smith, deputy chief executive at RenewableUK, added: “Today’s decision is an important step in making this historic project a reality; it signals the start of creating a new landmark in the North Sea. Its size is guaranteed to bring a multitude of benefits to the UK, in particular, a huge amount of inward investment and the creation of local jobs on the east coast of England.
"This offshore wind farm will play an important part in meeting our Paris climate commitments, but will also help create the new energy infrastructure this country desperately needs.”
