Danish energy company Ørsted has made the final investment decision (FID) on the 2.9GW Hornsea 3 offshore wind farm in the UK North Sea.
The wind farm will be completed by the end of 2027 and will be the single largest offshore wind farm in the world.
It will be located 160km offshore Yorkshire, near the Hornsea 1 and Hornsea 2 wind farms with 1.2GW and 1.3GW of capacity, respectively.
The power generated from Hornsea 3 can meet the needs of 3.3 million UK households while contributing to the UK’s target of 50GW of offshore wind in operation by 2030.
All major contracts for the project are in place. Siemens Gamesa has been selected to supply 231 SG14-236 DD offshore wind turbines, each with 14MW of power-generating capacity.
Most of the contracts were put in place beforehand to ensure competitive pricing. The larger turbines, along with synergies with Hornsea 1 and 2, are also expected to lower operating costs.
The project will create 5,000 jobs during its construction phase and another 1,200 permanent jobs during its operational phase, directly and across the supply chain.
The company will conduct operations and maintenance (O&M) from its O&M hub in Grimsby, Lincolnshire.
Ørsted group president and CEO Mads Nipper stated: “By applying our world-leading capabilities within offshore wind innovation, engineering, operations, procurement and financing, we have been able to mature the world’s largest offshore wind project and take a final investment decision. Offshore wind is an extremely competitive global market, so we also welcome the attractive policy regime in the UK, which has helped secure this investment.
“We look forward to constructing this landmark project, which will deliver massive amounts of green energy to UK households and businesses and will be a significant addition to the world’s largest offshore wind cluster.”
Ørsted secured development consent from the UK Government for the project in January 2021.
This was followed in July 2022 by a contract for difference at the 2012 price of £37.35 ($47.17) per megawatt hour.
