The fourth and final wind farm in the Hornsea Zone has been consented.
Orsted’s Hornsea Four, to be operated and maintained from Grimsby, has been cleared by Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero. It had been subject to a lengthy delay as environmental compensation measures were clarified.
The 2.6GW addition will bring further jobs to Grimsby, as a key project to be served from its £14 million East Coast Hub, where the company envisages employing more than 800 people from by 2030.
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As with all wind farms, the nationally-significant project was subject to consideration by the Planning Inspectorate, having been initially submitted back in October 2021.
A project spokesperson for Orsted said: "We are delighted to confirm that Hornsea Four offshore wind farm has been granted consent by the Secretary of State for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero. This marks the culmination of a rigorous process which ensures that the project can deliver a significant source of clean energy for the UK. Hornsea Four is the first ever offshore wind farm to be examined alongside a derogation case including environmental compensation. 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.
“Climate change remains a very serious threat to our environment and habitats and there is an ever pressing need to act. 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 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. 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.”
Power generated by Hornsea Four is proposed to hit land close to the village of Barmston, between Bridlington and Hornsea, with a cable route dropping south west, skirting Beverley to an onshore substation north of Hull, close to where the A1079 and A164 meet, where it would connect to the National Grid.
The company is currently working towards a final investment decision for Hornsea Three, slightly larger at 2.8GW, with Hornsea One and Two both built and operational. That decision is expected this year after concerns over costings emerged, but appear to have been overcome.
Hornsea Four will go through the same process, with a timeline anticipated from the Danish giant, including likely participation in future subsidy rounds.
RenewableUK’s executive director of policy, Ana Musat, said: “It’s great to see one of the UK’s largest offshore wind farms getting the green light from the Government, at a time when we urgently need to get cracking on building new clean energy projects to generate the cheapest power for billpayers and enable us to bolster domestic supply chains.
“Hornsea Four will strengthen Britain’s energy security significantly, helping us to move away from the volatility of international gas prices and closer towards energy independence, as well as enabling us to take a major leap forward towards net zero”.
Hornsea Four is the second largest UK offshore wind project to gain consent. It could feature up to 180 turbines, depending on the technology selected. It would provide enough power to meet the average daily needs of over one million homes.
