Orsted brings forward multi-billion pound Hornsea Four offshore wind farm

600 sq km of seabed being investigated for 180 turbine addition to the Humber cluster as work begins with communities in East Yorkshire

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David LaisterBusiness Editor (Humber)

05:00, 12 AUG 2019

Hornsea Project Four plans are at formal community consultation stage (Image: Orsted)

Renewables giant Orsted is bringing forward the final wind farm in its allocated zone off the Humber.

Hornsea Four, with the potential to generate upwards of 1.8GW, is entering formal consultation tomorrow, with a series of information events to be hosted next month.

A Round Three project in The Crown Estate’s seabed leasing strategy, Hornsea One and Two are already under construction, with the first having already unofficially brought the ‘world’s largest’ title to Grimsby, where they will be operated and maintained from.

Hornsea Three is currently awaiting a consent decision from the new Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Andrea Leadsom.

Hornsea One - the world's largest wind farm in waiting - has reached the halfway point in commissioning, with 87 of the 174 turbines now generating. It is operated and maintained out of Grimsby. (Image: Orsted)

Ørsted, fresh from announcing a 2 per cent increase in earnings in its half yearly results, is now investigating an offshore area of up to 600 sq km for the latest project, where up to 180 turbines could be located. It is a zone that stretches almost the entire length of the East Yorkshire coastline, and the northernmost turbines would be 65km off Flamborough Head. It would sit well beyond the company’s first farm in the region, Westermost Rough, but nearer to shore than those now being built.

Jamie Baldwin, project development manager at Ørsted, said: “The ��Ƶ has world-leading capabilities in offshore wind. By 2030, one third of British electricity is set to be produced by offshore wind power and Ørsted is at the forefront of this green energy revolution. As the global leader in offshore wind, we take our responsibilities to the communities in which we build and operate our projects very seriously.”

Power 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.

It would also feature energy balancing infrastructure, potentially a form of battery storage.

When complete, Hornsea One offshore wind farm will have 174 turbines, each able to power a home for 29 hours with just one spin. (Image: Orsted)

Hornsea One and Two both come ashore in Lincolnshire, connecting to the grid at North Killingholme, while Hornsea Three is proposed to deliver electricity into Norfolk.

The formal phase of community consultation for Hornsea Four opens tomorrow, and runs until September 23. Information events will be held between 2pm and 8pm at Barmston and Fraisthorpe Village Hall on September 2, Lockington Village Hall on September 3 and Cottingham Civic Hall on September 4, and between 10.30am and 4pm at Foston-on-the-Wolds Village Hall on September 7.

Feedback on the latest plans can be submitted at the events or online – via a .

Mr Baldwin added: “We’d encourage any interested individuals and groups to attend the events, so they can better understand what is being proposed and the project team can capture their thoughts and comments.”

Orsted anticipates making an application to the Planning Inspectorate in 2020, and if approved construction could begin in 2023, with first electricity in 2027.