Ørsted takes final investment decision on Hornsea 3

Ørsted has taken a Final Investment Decision on the world’s single largest offshore wind farm, Hornsea 3, which will support up to 5,000 jobs during construction and a further 1,300 permanent roles both directly and within the local supply chain.

The company already operates Hornsea 1, which has capacity of 1.2GW, and Hornsea 2, which has 1.3GW capacity, from its base in Grimsby.

However, Hornsea 3, scheduled to be completed towards the end of 2027 will dwarf them both with a planned capacity of 2.9GW. This will be able to power 3.3m homes and will make a significant contribution to the UK’s energy security and Net Zero targets.

Ørsted, one of the world’s leading offshore wind and renewable energy companies, says that it already has the contracts in place with Siemens Gamesa for the wind turbines and other key suppliers, including SeAH Wind’s monopile factory in Teesside.

Duncan Clark, Head of Ørsted UK & Ireland, said: “Hornsea 3 will be a cornerstone in achieving the UK government’s climate and clean energy targets while increasing energy independence and creating local jobs. Our decision to build Hornsea 3 is a vote of confidence in the UK market for offshore wind, as we continue to invest significantly in UK clean energy infrastructure and in the UK supply chain.”

Hornsea 3 will be located about 100 miles off the Yorkshire coast and when it comes online, it will form, alongside Hornsea 1 and 2, the world’s largest operating offshore wind zone with a total capacity of in excess of 5GW.

Also in Ørsted’s pipeline is Hornsea 4, which will have a capacity of up to 2.6GW, and was granted a development consent order from the UK government in early 2023.