Danish wind development company, Ørsted, received consent by UK Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero to develop the fourth phase of its Hornsea project. At its closest point, Hornsea 4 will be located 43 miles (69 km) off the Yorkshire Coast and encompass an area up to 190 mi2 (492 km2). A maximum of 180 wind turbines could be located in this area.
For context, Hornsea 1 has an electricity generation capacity of 1.2GW from 174 turbines. Hornsea 2 has 165 turbines generating 1.3 GW of electricity. Hornsea 3, which is still in development, is the largest of the four phases and will consist of 231 turbines for 2.85 GW of electricity generation.
According to Ørsted, Hornsea 4 is the first ever offshore wind farm to be examined alongside a derogation case including environmental compensation. The company said it is now reviewing the full detail of the Development Consent Order and will continue to work closely with stakeholders and local communities.
“Climate change remains a very serious threat to our environment and habitats and there is an ever pressing need to act,” said Ørsted in a statement. “We must accelerate the build-out of renewable energy if we are to meet our global climate goals and net-zero targets, as well as ensuring projects deliver long-term value. Offshore wind projects such as Hornsea 4 are key to the UK’s energy security and will bring billions of pounds of investment into the UK, provide low-cost electricity for consumers, and thousands of high-quality jobs. We’d like to thank everyone involved in the project to date and for all the feedback and comments we have received that have helped shape our proposals.”
