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Consent has been granted for Hornsea Project One, a 1,200MW offshore wind project off the coast of Yorkshire, the Department for Energy and Climate Change said today.
Hornsea Project One will consist of three offshore windfarms covering a 407km area and will have between 150 to 332 turbines depending on the size selected.
The project is scheduled to commence operation by 2020 when it will become the world’s first gigawatt scale far-from-shore windfarm.
The Development Consent Order covers the entire project, including the turbines, offshore and onshore substations, array cables and export cable.
The project is being developed by Smart Wind, an equal joint venture between Mainstream Renewable Power, Siemens Project Ventures GmbH, and Dong Energy.
Hornsea Project One is part of the wider Hornsea offshore windfarm zone which has a maximum capacity of 4GW and is part of the Crown Estate’s Round 3 offshore wind programme.
It was one of eight renewable projects awarded an early Contract for Difference in April 2014.
Consent was provided on the condition that the project has an employment and skills plan approved by North Lincolnshire Council, which includes local advertising of jobs and supply chain opportunities and outreach employment presentations.
Dong Energy vice president of UK wind power, Benj Sykes said: “This is an exciting project that will be a world first in terms of its size and location, and it has the potential to power up to 800,000 UK homes.”
Mainstream Renewable Power’s chief operating officer, Andy Kinsella said: “Hornsea Project One is part of the essential new infrastructure that has driven major investment in the Humber economy and ensures a low carbon future for the area.”
The Crown Estate’s Head of Offshore Wind, Huub den Rooijen, said: “We are delighted to see such positive decisions as the large scale Hornsea Project One coming through the planning process, which further support the UK’s position as a global leader in offshore wind and confirm its material contribution to UK power generation into the long term.”
Energy secretary, Ed Davey said: “Making the most of Britain’s home grown energy is crucial to creating job and business opportunities in the UK, getting the best deal for consumers and reducing our reliance on foreign imports.
“Wind power is vital to this plan, with £14.5 billion invested since 2010 into an industry which supports 35,400 jobs.”
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