Decision Paves Way for Finalizing Technical Design, Selecting Supply Chain Partners
The UK government has granted consent for Hornsea Four, a 180-turbine wind farm Danish developer Orsted is planning to build and operate in the UK’s North Sea.
A development consent order, or DCO, awarded by the UK’s Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, gives Orsted a green light for the next phase of the project, which will include finalizing technical design, selecting supply chain partners and taking a final investment decision.
Hornsea Four is Orsted’s fourth project in the Hornsea zone. The wind farm would be installed in an offshore array area of up to 468 square kilometers, with its closest point to the shore some 69 kilometers off Flamborough Head in the northeast county of Yorkshire.
“We are now reviewing the full detail of the Development Consent Order and will continue to work closely with stakeholders and local communities as we look to take Hornsea Four forward sensitively and sustainably,” Orsted said in a statement.
“Offshore wind projects such as Hornsea Four 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.”
The Hornsea projects are a set of offshore wind farms developed by Orsted across a 2,000-square-kilometer-plus zone in the North Sea.
Hornsea One began operations in 2020, while Hornsea Two, billed as the world’s largest offshore wind farm comprising 165 turbines and 1.3-GW of capacity, was brought online in 2022. Both projects can generate enough power for about 2.5 million households.
Hornsea Three, granted a DCO in December 2020, is slated to be even bigger, boasting up to 231 turbines and 2.85 GW of capacity. According to previous statements, Orsted expects to commission the project in 2027.
Orsted is a member of the Breakbulk Global Shipper Network, an extensive networking platform for executives operating at the top end of the project supply chain in sectors such as oil and gas, energy and renewables, mining and minerals, construction, forestry, industrial manufacturing and aerospace.
The next in-person meet-up for BGSN members will be at Breakbulk Americas 2023, taking place on 26-28 September at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas.
PHOTO: Hornsea Two turbine from the air. CREDIT: Orsted
